{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://bacon.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2764", "Bacon, Flood Introduce Bill to Support College Students' Access to Mental Health Care", "2025-09-15", "2025", "2025-09", "Republican", "House", "NE", "Don Bacon", "B001298", "bacon.house.gov", "bacon", "https://bacon.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, U.S. Representative Don Bacon (NE), joined by Mike Flood (NE) and Rep. Zach Nunn (IA), introduced the \u201cCollege Students Continuation of Mental Health Care Act.\u201d\n\n\u201cCollege can be stressful for many students as they experience being away from their family and friends for an extended period, and nearly 77 percent experience some kind of psychological distress,\u201d said Congressman Bacon. \u201cAllowing college campus mental health providers to continue the care of their college student through telehealth will fill a need for when students are home during breaks. I\u2019m pleased to join Rep. Flood on this bill to extend this needed care to college students in their times of need.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt is no secret that mental health is one of the most urgent crises of our time, especially among young adults,\u201d said Congressman Flood. \u201cMany colleges and universities include mental health care in their health service offerings to students. Current regulations, however, can prevent the continuation of these services when students are off campus and out of state. This bill simply allows students to maintain consistent access to their trusted providers throughout the year. That\u2019s why I\u2019m pleased to introduce this bill during National Suicide Prevention Month. I thank my colleagues for joining me in this effort to help address the mental health crisis affecting our nation.\"\n\n\u201cMental health support is a critical lifeline for students, and that need does not stop when they head home for break or the holidays,\u201d said Congressman Nunn. \"Right now, crossing a state line can cut off access to trusted care providers. Our bill removes that barrier so students can stay connected to the care they rely on.\u201d\n\n\"This bill is a crucial step toward building a more supportive and responsive mental health system that meets the needs of today\u2019s college student population,\u201d said American College Health Association (ACHA) CEO James Wilkinson. \"We are incredibly grateful to Congressman Flood and his colleagues for introducing this legislation to support the mental health and well-being of college students. The Congressman listened to the challenges our members shared and immediately began researching and drafting a solution. His commitment to ensuring students don't lose access to their mental health services when they leave the state for school breaks or internships is a testament to his dedication to their success.\"\n\nThe \u201cCollege Students Continuation of Mental Health Care Act\u201d allows colleges and universities to extend the mental health care that college students use while on campus. Specifically, the legislation allows mental health providers to continue their care and services via three means:\n\nAllows mental health providers employed by Institutes of High Education to offer telehealth mental health care services to a student of the same institution- regardless of state lines.\n\nProtecting the ability of states to continue participating in existing interstate healthcare compacts.\n\nExpanding interstate telehealth care to incoming students who have registered for classes, as well as students who have attended courses within the last three months at the time of seeking care from a mental health provider from the Institutes of Higher Education.\n\nA full copy of the legislation can be accessed by clicking here.\n\nSupport for the College Students Continuation of Mental Health Care Act\n\nThe following groups support the legislation: American College Health Association, Association of College and University Housing Officers-International, and National Intramural-Recreation Sports Association.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:10:29Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://bacon.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2764"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.6754170171916485, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}