Mental Health Professionals Workforce Shortage Loan Repayment Act of 2025
Sponsored By: Representative Salinas, Andrea [D-OR-6]
Introduced
Summary
Creates a federal loan-repayment program to recruit and retain mental health professionals in federally designated shortage areas. The program would be run by the Health Resources and Services Administration and link annual loan payments to multi-year service commitments.
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- Mental health professionals: Eligible clinicians could receive annual loan payments equal to one-sixth of loan principal and interest for each year of obligated service, with a final payment covering the remaining balance and a maximum of six service years.
- Shortage-area communities: The program aims to place more clinicians in areas the Secretary or section 332 designates as mental health professional shortage areas to expand local access to care.
- Administration and rules: The program would cap total repayment per borrower, prevent duplicate federal forgiveness for the same service period, require periodic reports to Congress on participants and geographic distribution, and authorize $25 million per year for FY2026–FY2035 to carry out the program.
*This would authorize $25 million per year for FY2026–FY2035, thereby increasing federal spending.*
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.
Loan relief for mental health workers
If enacted, you could get federal student loans paid if you work full time as a mental health professional in a shortage area. The program would be run by HHS through HRSA. For each year you serve the program would pay one-sixth of eligible loan principal and interest, with the remainder paid after the sixth year. Total payments to any person would be limited to $250,000. Congress would authorize $25 million each year for fiscal years 2026 through 2035 to run the program.
Mental health worker eligibility and rules
If enacted, the bill would define who counts as a mental health professional and what counts as a shortage area. A qualifying job must be full time and primarily provide direct treatment or recovery support. You would need to work up to six years full time in a designated shortage area, with no more than one year gap between paid years. The agency could set a damages formula if you break the agreement, but not finishing the full period alone may not be a breach if you completed paid years in good faith. You could not get loan repayment for the same service from certain other federal programs.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Salinas, Andrea [D-OR-6]
OR • D
Cosponsors
Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-1]
PA • R
Sponsored 12/11/2025
Ciscomani
AZ • R
Sponsored 12/11/2025
Budzinski
IL • D
Sponsored 12/11/2025
Rep. Tonko, Paul [D-NY-20]
NY • D
Sponsored 2/24/2026
Rep. Balint, Becca [D-VT-At Large]
VT • D
Sponsored 3/4/2026
Craig
MN • D
Sponsored 4/20/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov