Pursuing Equity in Mental Health Act
Sponsored By: Representative Watson Coleman, Bonnie [D-NJ-12]
Introduced
Summary
Would reduce racial and ethnic disparities in youth mental health. It would shift grant priorities to favor providers serving minority communities and expand research, culturally tailored outreach, and workforce training.
Show full summary
- Families and youth: Would fund culturally and age-appropriate outreach to raise awareness of symptoms and evidence-based treatments, with $20 million per year authorized for FY2026–2031.
- Researchers and communities: Would require a federal study on gaps in mental health disparities research and authorize $150 million per year to NIH for community engagement and clinical research from FY2026–2031.
- Health workforce and grantees: Would let fellowship recipients develop and share best practices and core competencies across mental health professions and set grant funding at $60 million for FY2025 and $80 million per year for FY2026–2031.
*Would increase federal spending by about $1.0 billion per year in FY2026–2031, driven by $750 million per year for the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, $150 million per year for NIH research, $80 million per year for grants, and $20 million per year for outreach.*
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
5 provisions identified: 5 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
More funding for minority health research
If enacted, the National Institutes of Health would get $150 million each year from 2026–2031 to build community ties and support clinical research on racial and ethnic health gaps. The National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities would get an extra $750 million each year for 2026–2031, on top of other funding. Money could also support youth mental health work in the national framework.
More grants for minority-serving care
The bill would authorize $60 million for 2025 and $80 million each year for 2026–2031 for integrated primary and behavioral health grants. HHS could give extra consideration to applicants that serve many racial and ethnic minority patients. This could help clinics expand mental health services in underserved areas.
New outreach for minority mental health
HHS would create a national outreach and education plan on behavioral and mental health for racial and ethnic minority groups. Materials would be culturally, language, age, and developmentally appropriate, with community input. HHS would report results within 1 year and then yearly for 5 years. Congress could fund about $20 million each year from 2026–2031.
Extend and expand mental health fellowships
This would extend the fellowship program through 2031. Fellows or program managers could use funds to build and share best practices and core skills to address mental health gaps. Allowed actions include expert committees, national workshops, training promotion, and advisory boards.
National study on mental health gaps
NIH would, within 9 months, seek the National Academies or another group to study mental health research gaps for racial and ethnic minority groups. The report would cover prevalence, effects of community violence, childhood trauma, and structural bias, and suggest fixes. If no outside group agrees, AHRQ would do the study.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Watson Coleman, Bonnie [D-NJ-12]
NJ • D
Cosponsors
Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large]
DC • D
Sponsored 4/10/2025
Rep. Fields, Cleo [D-LA-6]
LA • D
Sponsored 4/10/2025
Rep. Thanedar, Shri [D-MI-13]
MI • D
Sponsored 4/10/2025
Johnson (GA)
GA • D
Sponsored 4/10/2025
Rep. Clarke, Yvette D. [D-NY-9]
NY • D
Sponsored 4/10/2025
Rep. Moore, Gwen [D-WI-4]
WI • D
Sponsored 4/10/2025
Carson
IN • D
Sponsored 4/10/2025
Jackson (IL)
IL • D
Sponsored 4/10/2025
Rep. McIver, LaMonica [D-NJ-10]
NJ • D
Sponsored 4/10/2025
Rep. Carter, Troy A. [D-LA-2]
LA • D
Sponsored 4/10/2025
Rep. Bell, Wesley [D-MO-1]
MO • D
Sponsored 4/10/2025
Rep. Brown, Shontel M. [D-OH-11]
OH • D
Sponsored 4/17/2025
Rep. Tlaib, Rashida [D-MI-12]
MI • D
Sponsored 4/17/2025
Rep. Beatty, Joyce [D-OH-3]
OH • D
Sponsored 4/30/2025
Rep. Scanlon, Mary Gay [D-PA-5]
PA • D
Sponsored 5/5/2025
Cohen
TN • D
Sponsored 5/5/2025
Rep. Doggett, Lloyd [D-TX-37]
TX • D
Sponsored 5/5/2025
Cherfilus-McCormick
FL • D
Sponsored 5/6/2025
Rep. Garcia, Sylvia R. [D-TX-29]
TX • D
Sponsored 5/7/2025
Rep. Gottheimer, Josh [D-NJ-5]
NJ • D
Sponsored 5/20/2025
Rep. Williams, Nikema [D-GA-5]
GA • D
Sponsored 6/30/2025
Rep. Johnson, Julie [D-TX-32]
TX • D
Sponsored 6/30/2025
Rep. McClain Delaney, April [D-MD-6]
MD • D
Sponsored 6/30/2025
Wilson (FL)
FL • D
Sponsored 7/2/2025
Rep. Balint, Becca [D-VT-At Large]
VT • D
Sponsored 7/2/2025
Rep. Kamlager-Dove, Sydney [D-CA-37]
CA • D
Sponsored 7/2/2025
Rep. Carbajal, Salud O. [D-CA-24]
CA • D
Sponsored 7/14/2025
Crockett
TX • D
Sponsored 7/22/2025
Budzinski
IL • D
Sponsored 7/22/2025
Thompson (MS)
MS • D
Sponsored 7/23/2025
Rep. Nadler, Jerrold [D-NY-12]
NY • D
Sponsored 7/25/2025
Rep. Magaziner, Seth [D-RI-2]
RI • D
Sponsored 10/3/2025
Rep. Vindman, Eugene Simon [D-VA-7]
VA • D
Sponsored 10/17/2025
Rep. Tonko, Paul [D-NY-20]
NY • D
Sponsored 10/21/2025
Randall
WA • D
Sponsored 11/20/2025
Rep. Amo, Gabe [D-RI-1]
RI • D
Sponsored 2/4/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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