HEART Act of 2026

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9365 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 9365

 To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish an
  office to assist communities in providing mental health services to
 individuals experiencing fear-based trauma related to immigration law
 enforcement actions taken by Federal agencies, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 18, 2026

   Ms. Rivas (for herself, Mr. Garcia of Illinois, and Mr. Cisneros)
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
                          Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish an
  office to assist communities in providing mental health services to
 individuals experiencing fear-based trauma related to immigration law
 enforcement actions taken by Federal agencies, and for other purposes.

    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 ``Healing and Equity for Enforcement-
Affected Residents and Trauma Act of 2026'' or the ``HEART Act of
2026''.

SEC. 2. FAMILY STABILITY AND MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT FOR COMMUNITIES
              IMPACTED BY FEDERAL IMMIGRATION LAW ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS.

    (a) Establishment of Office.--The Secretary shall establish within
the Office of the Secretary an office to be known as the ``Office of
Immigrant Community Mental Health and Resilience''.
    (b) Director.--The Office shall be headed by a Director, who shall
be appointed by the Secretary.
    (c) Duties.--
            (1) In general.--The Director shall carry out programs and
        activities to assist impacted communities, including through
        the provision of mental health services to individuals
        experiencing fear-based trauma related to immigration law
        enforcement actions taken by Federal agencies.
            (2) Direct care and service delivery.--In carrying out
        paragraph (1), the Director shall support impacted communities
        by--
                    (A) providing for the establishment of mobile
                mental health response teams;
                    (B) providing for the establishment of emergency
                counseling vouchers;
                    (C) carrying out the mental health grant program
                under subsection (d); and
                    (D) providing guidance to States on any Medicaid
                flexibilities available for assisting individuals
                described in paragraph (1).
            (3) Data reporting.--In carrying out paragraph (1), the
        Director shall--
                    (A) create a process for States, local governments,
                or community-based organizations to report immigration
                law enforcement actions taken by Federal agencies to
                help direct the resources of the Office; and
                    (B) submit to Congress an annual report on the
                public health impacts of such immigration law
                enforcement actions, including recommendations for
                providing care to individuals described in paragraph
                (1) who reside in medically underserved communities.
            (4) Workforce development.--In carrying out paragraph (1),
        the Director shall support impacted communities in--
                    (A) the hiring of culturally competent behavioral
                health specialists to address the emergent public
                health needs of impacted communities; and
                    (B) the training of health care providers in
                providing mental health services for individuals
                described in paragraph (1).
            (5) Community involvement.--In carrying out paragraph (1),
        the Director shall support impacted communities in--
                    (A) developing and implementing ``know your
                rights'' campaigns relating to health care rights;
                    (B) developing and implementing public awareness
                campaigns relating to accessing health care services in
                a multilingual setting;
                    (C) developing and distributing educational
                materials relating to fear-based trauma; and
                    (D) providing trauma-informed mental health and
                family stabilization services.
    (d) Grants.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary shall make grants to
        eligible entities serving impacted communities.
            (2) Use of funds.--A recipient of a grant under this
        subsection shall use the funds received under the grant to--
                    (A) provide trauma-informed mental health services,
                including crisis counseling and short-term therapeutic
                interventions;
                    (B) address emergent behavioral health crises;
                    (C) provide inclusive mental health and substance
                use prevention, response, and recovery services that an
                impacted community may need following immigration law
                enforcement actions taken by Federal agencies;
                    (D) develop and implement a ``know your rights''
                campaign relating to health care rights;
                    (E) deploy mobile or community-based mental health
                response services; or
                    (F) integrate multilingual, trauma-informed mental
                health services with healthcare services provided by
                local educational agencies and schools, to the extent
                feasible.
    (e) Prohibition on Sharing of Information.--The data, actions, and
information collected by the Office shall not be shared with the
Department of Homeland Security or any other Federal agency that takes
immigration law enforcement actions.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Behavioral health specialist.--The term ``behavioral
        health specialist'' means a professional licensed to provide
        behavioral health services, including a child or adult
        psychiatrist, a psychologist, a social worker, a guidance
        counselor, a peer support specialist, or other qualified
        individual as determined by the Secretary.
            (2) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of
        the Family Stability and Mental Health Support Office
        established under section 2.
            (3) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means--
                    (A) a State or local government;
                    (B) a Federally qualified health center (as defined
                in section 1861(aa) of the Social Security Act (2
                U.S.C. 1395x(aa)));
                    (C) a rural health clinic (as defined in section
                1861(aa) of the Social Security Act (2 U.S.C.
                1395x(aa)));
                    (D) a Tribal health organization;
                    (E) a local educational agency;
                    (F) a faith-based organization providing health or
                social services; or
                    (G) a community-based organization.
            (4) Impacted community.--The term ``impacted community''
        means a local jurisdiction that demonstrates that a Federal
        agency has taken immigration law enforcement actions within the
        borders of the jurisdiction.
            (5) Medically underserved community.--The term ``medically
        underserved community'' has the meaning given the term in
        section 799B of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 295p).
            (6) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
        of Health and Human Services.

SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    Notwithstanding any other provision of law, of the amounts made
available under sections 90003, 100051, and 100052 of Public Law 119-21
(139 Stat. 72 et seq.), such sums as may be necessary shall to
transferred to the Secretary to carry out this Act. Any sums so
transferred shall remain available until expended.
                                 <all>