# 119-hr-8156: National Parent and Youth Helpline Act

119-hr-8156, National Parent and Youth Helpline Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Torres, Norma J. [D-CA-35] (D-CA); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-04-21).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-8156
- As of: 2026-04-21
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-8156
- Congress: 119
- Title: National Parent and Youth Helpline Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2026-03-27
- Sponsor: Rep. Torres, Norma J. [D-CA-35] (D-CA)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Policy area: Health
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-04-21

## Summary

**Creates a national 24-hour parent and youth helpline** that would give parents, caregivers, children, and youth free emotional support, guidance, and resources by phone, text, and live chat. - Families and youth: Access 24-hour support for emotional distress, substance use, peer relationships, and school or educational concerns, plus weekly evidence-based mutual support groups. - Nonprofit operators: The Secretary may award a single nonprofit a grant for up to five years, with priority for groups already running national helplines and weekly support groups. - Oversight and evaluation: The helpline operator must submit performance reports and the Health and Human Services Secretary must report to Congress on implementation and effectiveness within three years. *Authorizes up to $20.0 million per year for fiscal years 2027 through 2032 to fund the program, increasing federal outlays by that amount annually.*

## Provisions PRIA read

- Funding for National Parent Helpline: benefit, high. If enacted, the bill would authorize $20 million for each fiscal year from 2027 through 2032 to carry out the national parent and youth helpline. That sets a $20 million annual funding ceiling and totals $120 million in authorized spending across six years. This authorization would not itself appro…
- 24-Hour Parent and Youth Helpline: benefit, low. If enacted, the bill would let HHS award a grant to one nonprofit to run a national, 24-hour, toll-free parent and youth helpline by phone, text, and live chat. The grantee would also run weekly evidence-based support groups nationwide, keep a resource website, and lead outreach to reach families.…

## Related bills

- 119-hr-10061: Wildfire Response and Readiness Act
- 119-hr-7481: Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2026
- 119-hr-7973: Momnibus Act
- 119-hr-7853: PrEP Access and Coverage Act of 2026
- 119-hr-4245: GLOBE Act of 2025
- 119-hr-5449: Redistricting Reform Act of 2025

## Sources
- [119-hr-8156 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/8156)

## Related
- [119-hr-10061: Wildfire Response and Readiness Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-10061)
- [119-hr-7481: Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7481)
- [119-hr-7973: Momnibus Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7973)
- [119-hr-7853: PrEP Access and Coverage Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7853)
- [119-hr-4245: GLOBE Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-4245)
- [119-hr-5449: Redistricting Reform Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-5449)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-8156 (as of 2026-04-21).