May 8, 2025
Ms. Hirono (for herself and Ms. Cortez Masto) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for a national outreach and education strategy and research to improve behavioral health among the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander population, while addressing stigma against behavioral health treatment among such population.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Stop Mental Health Stigma in Our Communities Act of 2025
.
Sec. 2. Definitions
In this Act:
(1) AANHPI
The term AANHPI means Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander.
(2) Secretary
Except as otherwise specified, the term Secretary means the Secretary of Health and Human Services.
Sec. 3. Findings
Congress finds the following:
(1)
The AANHPI community is among the fastest growing population groups in the United States. It is a diverse population representing more than 70 distinct ethnicities, and speaking more than 100 languages and dialects.
(2)
There is a growing mental health crisis in the United States, particularly for AANHPI individuals. AANHPI individuals with mental health challenges have the lowest rates of mental health service utilization compared to other racial or ethnic populations. In 2023, only 35 percent of Asian adults with a mental health challenge received treatment in the past year. Although suicide is the eleventh leading cause of death, it is the leading cause of death for AANHPI youth. From 2018 to 2023, AANHPI youth between the ages of 10 to 24 years were the only racial or ethnic population in this age category where suicide was the leading cause of death.
(3)
Such mental health disparities within the AANHPI community may be attributed to systemic barriers to accessing mental health services, including stigma attached to mental health, limited availability of and access to culturally and linguistically appropriate services, and insufficient research.
(4)
Insufficient research on AANHPI communities often leads to an inaccurate representation of their experiences and needs. It is imperative to disaggregate AANHPI population data to better understand the range of mental health issues for each subpopulation so that specific culturally and linguistically appropriate solutions can be developed.
(5)
Critical investments are necessary to reduce stigma and improve mental health within AANHPI communities, including increasing culturally and linguistically appropriate outreach education and mental health services, improving representation of AANHPI individuals among the behavioral health workforce, and strengthening disaggregated data collection in research.
Sec. 4. National AANHPI behavioral health outreach and education strategy
Part D of title V of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 290dd et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following new section:
554. National AANHPI behavioral health outreach and education strategy
(a) In general
The Secretary, acting through the Assistant Secretary, shall, in coordination with the Director of the Office of Minority Health, the Director of the National Institutes of Health, and the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and in consultation with advocacy and behavioral health organizations serving populations of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander individuals or communities, develop and implement a national outreach and education strategy to promote behavioral health and reduce stigma associated with mental health and substance use disorders within the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander population. Such strategy shall—
(1)
be designed to meet the diverse cultural and language needs and preferences of the various Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander populations;
(2)
be developmentally and age appropriate;
(3)
increase awareness of symptoms of mental illnesses common within subgroups of such population, taking into account differences within subgroups, such as gender, gender identity, age, sexual orientation, culture, or ethnicity;
(4)
provide information, in a publicly accessible manner, on evidence-based, culturally and linguistically appropriate, and adapted interventions and treatments;
(5)
ensure full participation of, and engage, both consumers and community members in the development and implementation of materials; and
(6)
seek to broaden the perspective among both individuals in Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities and stakeholders serving such communities to use a comprehensive public health approach to promoting behavioral health that addresses a holistic view of health by focusing on the intersection between behavioral and physical health.
(b) Reports
Beginning not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of the Stop Mental Health Stigma in Our Communities Act of 2025 and annually thereafter, the Secretary, acting through the Assistant Secretary, shall submit to Congress, and make publicly available, a report on the extent to which the strategy developed and implemented under subsection (a) increased awareness among the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander population of mental health and substance use disorders.
(c) Authorization of appropriations
There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $3,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030.
Sec. 5. Systematic review of and report on the AANHPI youth behavioral health crisis
(a) Systematic review
(1) In general
The Secretary, acting through the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, in coordination with the Director of the National Institutes of Health, the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Director of the Office of Minority Health, shall conduct a systematic review of behavioral health among AANHPI youth.
(2) Elements
Such systematic review required under paragraph (1) shall include an assessment of—
(A)
the prevalence, risk factors, and root causes of mental health challenges, substance misuse, and mental health and substance use disorders among AANHPI youth;
(B)
the prevalence and methods of attempted suicide, nonfatal substance use overdose, and death by suicide or substance use overdose among AANHPI youth; and
(C)
AANHPI youth that received treatment for mental health and substance use disorders.
(b) Report
Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives, and make publicly available, a report on the findings of the systematic review conducted under subsection (a), including—
(1)
identification of the barriers to accessing behavioral health prevention, treatment, and recovery services for AANHPI youth;
(2)
identification of root causes of mental health challenges and substance misuse among AANHPI youth;
(3)
recommendations for evidence-based actions to be taken by the Secretary to improve behavioral health among AANHPI youth;
(4)
recommendations for legislative or administrative action to improve the behavioral health of AANHPI youth experiencing depression, suicide, and overdose, and to reduce the prevalence of depression, suicide, overdose, and other behavioral health conditions among AANHPI youth; and
(5)
such other recommendations as the Secretary determines appropriate.
(c) Data
Any data included in the systematic review or report under this section shall be disaggregated by race, ethnicity, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, geographic region, disability status, and other relevant factors, in a manner that protects personal privacy and that is consistent with applicable Federal and State privacy law.
(d) Authorization of appropriations
For purposes of carrying out this section, there is authorized to be appropriated $1,500,000 for fiscal year 2026.
Sec. 6. Systematic review of and report on strategies on the AANHPI behavioral health workforce shortage
(a) Systematic review
(1) In general
The Secretary, acting through the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, in coordination with the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, the Secretary of Labor, and the Director of the Office of Minority Health, shall conduct a systematic review of strategies for increasing the behavioral health workforce that identify as AANHPI.
(2) Elements
Such systematic review required under paragraph (1) shall include an assessment of—
(A)
the total number of behavioral health workers in the United States who identify as AANHPI;
(B)
with respect to each such worker, information regarding the current type of license, geographic area of practice, and type of employer (such as hospital, Federally-qualified health center, school, or private practice);
(C)
information regarding the cultural and linguistic capabilities of such workers, including languages spoken proficiently;
(D)
the relevant barriers to enrollment in behavioral health professional education programs and entering the behavioral health workforce for AANHPI individuals; and
(E)
the total number of behavioral health workers who identify as AANHPI and who participate in Federal programs that seek to increase, train, and support the behavioral health workforce.
(b) Report
Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives, and make publicly available, a report on the findings of the systematic review conducted under subsection (a), including—
(1)
identification of AANHPI behavioral health workers’ knowledge and awareness of the barriers to quality behavioral health care services faced by AANHPI individuals, including stigma, limited English proficiency, and lack of health insurance coverage;
(2)
recommendations for actions to be taken by the Secretary to increase the number of AANHPI behavioral health workers;
(3)
recommendations for legislative or administrative action to improve the enrollment of AANHPI individuals in behavioral health workforce education and training programs; and
(4)
such other recommendations as the Secretary determines appropriate.
(c) Data
Any data included in the systematic review or report under this section shall be disaggregated by race, ethnicity, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, geographic region, disability status, and other relevant factors, in a manner that protects personal privacy and that is consistent with applicable Federal and State privacy law.
(d) Definition
In this section the term behavioral health worker means any individual licensed or certified to provide mental health or substance use disorder services, including in the professions of social work, psychology, psychiatry, marriage and family therapy, mental health counseling, peer support, and substance use disorder counseling.
(e) Authorization of appropriations
For purposes of carrying out this section, there is authorized to be appropriated $1,500,000 for fiscal year 2026.