College mental health care goes nationwide—no license barriers
H.R. 5357 — College Students Continuation of Mental Health Care Act of 2025 · Filed by Mike Flood (R-NE) · 19 cosponsors · Introduced Sep 15, 2025 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill allows college mental health counselors and therapists to provide telehealth services to students across state lines without obtaining separate licenses in each state where students are located. A college counselor in State A can treat a student in State B via video or phone, provided the counselor is licensed in their home state and the service isn't prohibited in the student's state. The bill requires counselors to verify student identity, confirm consent, and ensure malpractice insurance covers out-of-state telehealth work.
Why we flagged it
The bill's core function is to remove licensing barriers to telehealth mental health services for college students, expanding access to care. It is straightforward public-health legislation with no hidden agendas or narrow beneficiaries.
What the text implies
- May reduce demand for in-person counseling at colleges, potentially affecting campus mental health staffing models and budgets at institutions with large counseling centers.
- Creates a de facto national licensing reciprocity for college mental health providers, which could accelerate broader interstate telehealth licensing reform in other healthcare fields.
The full analysis lists 3 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
Colleges and universities (reduced counseling center capacity pressure); Telehealth platforms and technology providers (increased demand for mental health telehealth infrast