§294u — Title 42 The Public Health and Welfare | U.S. Code

§294u Education and awareness initiative encouraging use of mental health and substance use disorder services by health care professionals

Title 42 › Chapter CHAPTER 6A— - PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER V— - HEALTH PROFESSIONS EDUCATION › Part Part E— - Health Professions and Public Health Workforce › Subpart subpart 1— - health professions workforce information and analysis › § 294u

Last updated Apr 18, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary must set up a national, research-based education and awareness program, made with input from relevant groups like medical professional associations. The program must encourage health care professionals to get help for mental health and substance use problems, teach them to spot and respond to suicide and other mental health risks, and work to reduce the stigma around seeking care. No later than two years after March 18, 2022, and each year after, the Secretary must send the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions and the House Committee on Energy and Commerce an update on the program’s activities, results, and the numbers and descriptions used to evaluate it. Congress may provide $10,000,000 for each fiscal year 2026 through 2030 to run the program.

Title 42, §294u

The Public Health and Welfare — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Secretary, in consultation with relevant stakeholders, including medical professional associations, shall establish a national evidence-based or evidence-informed education and awareness initiative—

(1)to encourage health care professionals to seek support and care for their mental health or substance use concerns, to help such professionals identify risk factors associated with suicide and mental health conditions, and to help such professionals learn how best to respond to such risks, with the goal of preventing suicide, mental health conditions, and substance use disorders; and

(2)to address stigma associated with seeking mental health and substance use disorder services.

(b)Not later than 2 years after March 18, 2022, and annually thereafter, the Secretary shall provide to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives an update on the activities and outcomes of the initiative under subsection (a), including a description of quantitative and qualitative metrics used to evaluate such activities and outcomes.

(c)To carry out this section, there are authorized to be appropriated $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Codification Section was enacted as part of the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act, and not as part of the Public Health Service Act which comprises this chapter. Section was formerly set out as a note under section 294t of this title.

Amendments

2026—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 119–75, § 6508(b)(1), inserted “and annually thereafter,” for “March 18, 2022”. Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 119–75, § 6508(b)(2), substituted “2026 through 2030” for “2022 through 2024”.