H.R. 9867 · Where this bill is now
In committee
Introduced in the House, sent to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, Jul 22, 2026
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryGuidance to expand mental health provider workforce
The bill asks the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the federal agency that runs Medicaid and CHIP (the children's health insurance program), to create guidance for states. That guidance would help states figure out how to train, recruit, and keep more mental health and substance use disorder providers, with special focus on rural and underserved areas where these providers are hard to find.
How it affects you
If you live in a rural or underserved area and struggle to find mental health care or treatment for substance use disorder, this could eventually make those services more available to you. States would get federal guidance on how to build up their workforce of providers in these fields, which could mean shorter wait times and easier access to care in areas that currently have too few options.
Read the official summary (Introduced in House, Jul 22, 2026)
Expand the Behavioral Health Workforce Now Act
This bill requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to issue guidance for states on ways to increase education, training, recruitment, and retention of mental health and substance use disorder providers under Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), particularly in rural and underserved areas.
Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.
2nd SessionH. R. 9867
A BILL
Expand the Behavioral Health Workforce Now Act
Sponsor: Rep. Joe Neguse (D-CO-2) · Introduced Jul 22, 2026 · Health · 1 version of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Jul 22, 2026: “Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.”