# 119-hr-5217: Rural Behavioral Health Improvement Act of 2025

119-hr-5217, Rural Behavioral Health Improvement Act of 2025, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Tokuda, Jill N. [D-HI-2] (D-HI); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-09-21).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-5217
- As of: 2026-09-21
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-5217
- Congress: 119
- Title: Rural Behavioral Health Improvement Act of 2025
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2025-09-08
- Sponsor: Rep. Tokuda, Jill N. [D-HI-2] (D-HI)
- Cosponsors: 23
- Policy area: Health
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-09-21

## Summary

**Expands Medicare-covered behavioral health services at rural health clinics.** The bill would amend the Social Security Act to remove a phrase that previously limited which facilities at rural health clinics could deliver or be reimbursed for behavioral health services, effective January 1, 2027. - Rural patients and families: Could gain easier local access to mental health and substance use care because more clinic settings would be eligible to deliver and bill Medicare. - Rural health clinics and providers: Would be able to offer and seek Medicare payment for a broader set of behavioral health services or settings, giving clinics more flexibility to structure care.

## Cosponsors (23)

- Rep. Mann, Tracey [R-KS-1] (R-KS), 2025-09-08T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Zinke, Ryan K. [R-MT-1] (R-MT), 2025-09-08T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Johnson, Henry C. "Hank" [D-GA-4] (D-GA), 2025-09-08T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Fields, Cleo [D-LA-6] (D-LA), 2025-09-08T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Ciscomani, Juan [R-AZ-6] (R-AZ), 2025-09-08T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Mannion, John W. [D-NY-22] (D-NY), 2025-09-08T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Thompson, Bennie G. [D-MS-2] (D-MS), 2025-09-08T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Costa, Jim [D-CA-21] (D-CA), 2025-09-08T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Baird, James R. [R-IN-4] (R-IN), 2025-09-08T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Graves, Sam [R-MO-6] (R-MO), 2025-09-08T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Valadao, David G. [R-CA-22] (R-CA), 2025-09-08T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Pappas, Chris [D-NH-1] (D-NH), 2025-09-08T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Boebert, Lauren [R-CO-4] (R-CO), 2025-09-08T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Smith, Adrian [R-NE-3] (R-NE), 2025-09-08T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Figures, Shomari [D-AL-2] (D-AL), 2025-09-09T00:00:00.000Z
- Del. Moylan, James C. [R-GU-At Large] (R-GU), 2025-10-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Budzinski, Nikki [D-IL-13] (D-IL), 2025-10-31T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Balint, Becca [D-VT-At Large] (D-VT), 2025-12-09T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Stansbury, Melanie A. [D-NM-1] (D-NM), 2025-12-18T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. LaMalfa, Doug [R-CA-1] (R-CA), 2025-12-18T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Davids, Sharice [D-KS-3] (D-KS), 2026-04-20T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Lofgren, Zoe [D-CA-18] (D-CA), 2026-05-11T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Nunn, Zachary [R-IA-3] (R-IA), 2026-07-20T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- More Medicare behavioral health at rural clinics: benefit, medium. This bill would remove a Medicare rule that limits where rural clinics can give behavioral health care. If enacted, Medicare beneficiaries in rural areas could get mental health and related care at more rural health clinics, and Medicare could pay those clinics. It would not change payment rates or…

## Related bills

- 119-hr-1262: Mikaela Naylon Give Kids a Chance Act
- 119-hr-5198: Rural Health Clinic Location Modernization Act of 2025
- 119-hr-842: Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act
- 119-hr-3514: Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act of 2025
- 119-hr-2102: Major Richard Star Act
- 119-hr-909: Crime Victims Fund Stabilization Act of 2025

## Sources
- [119-hr-5217 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/5217)

## Related
- [119-hr-1262: Mikaela Naylon Give Kids a Chance Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-1262)
- [119-hr-5198: Rural Health Clinic Location Modernization Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-5198)
- [119-hr-842: Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage A…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-842)
- [119-hr-3514: Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3514)
- [119-hr-2102: Major Richard Star Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-2102)
- [119-hr-909: Crime Victims Fund Stabilization Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-909)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-5217 (as of 2026-09-21).