Mental Health TALK SAFE Act of 2026

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Introduced 2026-01-09Topic: health care · public health · criminal justice

Summary

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This bill would change federal drug law so that certain mental health professionals working for qualifying telehealth companies could prescribe some controlled substances for mental health disorders after at least one video or audio visit, without an in-person exam. It would also allow practitioners to prescribe controlled substances for opioid use disorder after one telehealth evaluation. It sets requirements a telehealth company must meet to qualify, such as staffing, pay, pharmacy ownership, and billing rules. Pharmacists could not refuse to fill such a prescription only because it came from a telehealth visit, and would have to contact the patient and prescriber before refusing over validity concerns, with fines of up to $25,000 per violation. The bill would also let telehealth prescribers skip extra state DEA registrations, let psychiatrists licensed in one state treat patients by telehealth in other states, and override state laws that restrict these activities.

Full text and official record on Congress.gov

Action history

Date	Chamber	Action	Status effect
2026-01-09	House	Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.	refer
2026-01-09	House	Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.	refer
2026-01-09		Introduced in House	introduce
2026-01-09		Introduced in House	introduce

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