This bill would make behavioral and mental health services, along with substance use disorder services, a required part of community health centers’ primary health services under the Public Health Service Act. It also would direct $700 million per year for fiscal years 2027 through 2031 to help fund those services. The change would affect patients who rely on community health centers for care, especially people who need counseling, psychiatric support, or addiction treatment. It amends both the health center service definition and the federal funding stream that supports those centers.
What This Bill Does
- Adds behavioral and mental health services as a required primary health service for community health centers.
- Also requires substance use disorder services to be included under section 330(b)(1)(A)(i).
- Redirects funding to HHS for enhanced support for these services.
- Authorizes $700,000,000 each year for fiscal years 2027 through 2031.
- Applies through amendments to both the Public Health Service Act and the Affordable Care Act funding section.
Who This Bill Affects
If you use a community health center, this bill could make it easier to get mental health counseling, behavioral health care, and substance use disorder treatment in the same setting as your regular primary care. The bill would also authorize $700 million each year from fiscal years 2027 through 2031 to support those services, which could improve availability in centers that currently lack enough staff or programs.
See how this bill affects you — sign in for a personalized analysisWho Supports & Opposes This
- Community health center patients Patients who struggle to find affordable mental health or addiction care may support the bill because it brings those services into the same clinic where they already receive primary care. That can reduce delays, transportation barriers, and gaps between medical and behavioral treatment.
- Public health advocates Supporters are likely to argue that integrating behavioral health and substance use disorder services into primary care is an effective way to catch problems earlier and improve outcomes. The dedicated $700 million annual funding stream makes the requirement more workable for centers that need new staff and infrastructure.
- Safety-net healthcare providers Providers that already coordinate complex care may favor a clearer federal requirement paired with funding, because it creates a more consistent service standard across centers. It can also help them justify hiring clinicians and building referral systems for behavioral health.
- Community health center administrators Some administrators may oppose the bill if they think the new required services will be difficult to implement in areas with workforce shortages. Even with new funding, they may worry about meeting staffing, licensing, and space needs while keeping other primary care services running smoothly.
- Fiscal conservatives Budget hawks may object to the ongoing $700 million yearly commitment from fiscal years 2027 through 2031. They may argue the bill expands federal spending and creates a new recurring obligation without enough evidence that every center needs the same level of additional funding.
- Clinics in underserved rural areas Rural centers may worry that the mandate could be harder to satisfy where behavioral health professionals are scarce. They could support the goal but oppose a one-size-fits-all federal requirement if local labor markets make compliance difficult.
Key Implications
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““behavioral and mental health and substance use disorder services””
This language makes these services part of the basic services package for community health centers. For patients, that could mean more routine access to counseling, psychiatric support, and addiction-related care at a primary care clinic.
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““by adding at the end… ‘(VI) behavioral and mental health and substance use disorder services’””
The bill inserts a new required service category directly into federal law governing health centers. That means the change would be permanent in the statute unless Congress later revises it.
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““$700,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2031””
This is a multi-year federal funding commitment, not a one-time grant. The money is intended to help centers pay for the new services and expand capacity over five fiscal years.
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““to be transferred to the Secretary of Health and Human Services””
The bill routes the funding through HHS rather than handing it directly to clinics. That gives the department responsibility for distributing or managing the enhanced support.
Official Source & Bill Facts
BillBoard checks this page against public Congress.gov metadata, then adds plain-English analysis where available.
- Bill
- HR 8201
- Congress
- 119th Congress
- Official title
- To amend Public Health Service Act to require community health centers to provide behavioral and mental health and substance use disorder services, and for other purposes.
- Policy area
- Healthcare
- Latest action
- Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee by Voice Vote. (June 25, 2026)
- Last updated
- June 27, 2026
Latest Status
June 25, 2026
Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee by Voice Vote.
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