[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1329 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. RES. 1329
Expressing support for the designation of May 2026 as ``Mental Health
Awareness Month''.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 29, 2026
Ms. Salinas (for herself, Mr. Beyer, Mr. Bacon, Ms. Williams of
Georgia, Ms. Chu, Ms. Dean of Pennsylvania, Ms. Tokuda, Ms. Stansbury,
Mrs. Watson Coleman, Ms. Barragan, Mr. Espaillat, Mr. Lynch, Mr. Mrvan,
Ms. Balint, Mr. Tonko, Mr. Goldman of New York, Mr. Garamendi, Mr.
Correa, Ms. Pettersen, Ms. Tlaib, Ms. Craig, Mr. Krishnamoorthi, Ms.
Moore of Wisconsin, Mr. Torres of New York, Mr. Fitzpatrick, Mr.
Rouzer, Mr. Thanedar, Ms. Bonamici, Ms. Matsui, Mr. Amo, Mrs. McIver,
Mr. Costa, Ms. McClellan, Mr. Carter of Louisiana, Mr. Tran, and Mr.
Riley of New York) submitted the following resolution; which was
referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Expressing support for the designation of May 2026 as ``Mental Health
Awareness Month''.
Whereas Americans across the country continue to confront an ongoing mental
health crisis;
Whereas Americans continue to see increasing reports of loneliness, stress,
anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, and substance abuse;
Whereas the 2024 National Survey on Drug Use and Health conducted by the
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) found
that--
(1) the number of American adults living with a mental illness has
risen from 51,400,000 in 2019 to 61,500,000 in 2024;
(2) 23.4 percent of Americans over the age of 18 and 33.2 percent of
Americans between the ages of 18 and 25 have lived with a mental illness
during the past year; and
(3) 14,300,000 adults had serious thoughts of suicide during the past
year;
Whereas a 2025 Mental Health America online screening program found that--
(1) 79 percent of Americans who took the screening scored at risk for a
mental health condition;
(2) of those who scored at risk, 56 percent had never received
treatment for a mental health condition before; and
(3) 51 percent of all United States youth under 18 who took the
depression screening reported frequent suicidal ideation, compared to 48
percent of youth in 2024;
Whereas the Stress in America 2025 survey conducted by the American
Psychological Association found that--
(1) 54 percent of adults reported feeling emotionally disconnected,
saying they felt isolated from others;
(2) 70 percent of adults with high loneliness levels said it was hard
to plan for the future; and
(3) 69 percent of adults said they needed more emotional support in the
past year than they received;
Whereas the 2025 Poll of Public Perspectives on the U.S. Mental Health Care
System conducted by the National Alliance on Mental Illness found that--
(1) 1 in 6 people currently say they have poor mental health;
(2) 57 percent of adults have an unfavorable view of the current state
of the U.S. mental health care system; and
(3) nearly 2 in 3 Americans say the U.S. spends too little on resources
for mental health services;
Whereas a February 2024 Household Pulse Survey found that 17.7 percent of adults
reported symptoms of anxiety disorder;
Whereas, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),
mental health disorders are chronic conditions, and without proper
diagnosis and treatment children can face problems at home and in school
which can interfere with their future development;
Whereas more resources should be dedicated in schools to the prevention, early
detection, and treatment of mental health disorders in children;
Whereas childhood depression is more likely to persist into adulthood if it is
left untreated;
Whereas it is important that the United States provide the necessary funding and
resources to reach children and youth early on in life;
Whereas the October 10, 2024, CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report found
that adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) were common among adolescents,
with approximately three in four students experiencing one or more ACEs
and approximately one in five students experiencing four or more ACEs
and that these experiences contribute substantially to numerous health
conditions and risk behaviors in adolescence;
Whereas the May 12, 2023, CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report found that
between 2020 and 2023, the number of pediatric emergency department
visits associated with mental health conditions increased and was most
pronounced in girls between the ages of 12 and 17;
Whereas there has been a great concern about the impact of social media on the
mental health of children and youth;
Whereas social media does expose children to bullying, depression, anxiety, and
self-harm;
Whereas there is a strong need to further understand and deter any negative
impacts of social media on children and youth;
Whereas the CDC's Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data Summary and Trends Report:
2013-2023, found that--
(1) nearly 3 in 5 teenage girls in the United States felt persistently
sad or hopeless in 2021, which is double that of boys and the highest level
reported in decades;
(2) 30 percent of teenage girls in the United States seriously
considered attempting suicide in the past year;
(3) youth experienced high and worsening levels of persistent sadness
or hopelessness across all racial and ethnic groups; and
(4) 40 percent of high school students felt so sad or hopeless almost
every day for at least 2 weeks in a row that they stopped doing their usual
activities;
Whereas the CDC's Youth Risk Behavioral Survey Data Summary and Trends Report:
2013-2023, found that--
(1) 31 percent of heterosexual high school students and 65 percent of
LGBTQ+ high school students felt persistent feelings of sadness or
hopelessness during 2023;
(2) 11 percent of heterosexual high school students and 32 percent of
LGBTQ+ high school students made a suicide plan during the last 12 months;
and
(3) 6 percent of heterosexual high school students and 20 percent of
LGBTQ+ high school students actually attempted suicide during the last 12
months;
Whereas, according to the 2024 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health
conducted by The Trevor Project, 50 percent of LGBTQ youth who wanted
mental health care in the past year were not able to get it and 39
percent of LGBTQ youth seriously considered attempting suicide over this
same time period;
Whereas disparities remain in access to mental health treatment for communities
of color, with Asian, Native American, Hispanic, and Black individuals
less likely to receive mental health care than their White counterparts;
Whereas a 2023 survey conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that from
June 2023 to August 2023--
(1) 24 percent of Black adults who reported fair or poor mental health
say they went without needed mental health services;
(2) 23 percent of American Indian and Alaska Native adults who reported
fair or poor mental health say they went without needed mental health
services;
(3) 19 percent of Hispanic adults who reported fair or poor mental
health say they went without needed mental health services;
(4) 18 percent of Asian adults who reported fair or poor mental health
say they went without needed mental health services; and
(5) Black, American Indian and Alaska Native, Hispanic, and Asian
adults reported higher levels of unfair treatment when seeking health care
which made them more likely to not get the mental health services they
thought they needed;
Whereas suicide is a significant public health issue that can have an enduring
impact on individuals and their communities;
Whereas additional resources should be dedicated to the prevention of suicide in
the United States;
Whereas, according to the CDC, approximately 48,824 people died by suicide in
2024;
Whereas, according to the CDC, 12,800,000 adults seriously thought about
suicide, 3,700,000 made a plan for suicide, and 1,500,000 attempted
suicide;
Whereas final data published by the CDC in April 2026 found that--
(1) suicide is one of the leading causes of death in the United States;
and
(2) the number of suicides was 3 percent higher in 2022 than it was in
2021;
Whereas, according to the CDC, construction occupations have the highest rate of
suicide, as well as the highest number of suicides across all
occupational groups, with more than 5,000 people working in construction
dying by suicide each year;
Whereas, according to data from the National Center for Health Statistics
National Vital Statistics System, in 2021 almost a fifth of deaths by
suicide with a reported industry code were in construction, with male
construction workers accounting for 97.8 percent of suicide deaths;
Whereas, according to the National Rural Health Association, farmers are 3.5
times more likely to die by suicide than the general population;
Whereas veterans are more likely to experience mental health challenges than
nonveterans;
Whereas it is important that the United States provide additional funding and
resources to support veterans with mental health needs;
Whereas the 2025 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report found that--
(1) 6,398 veterans died by suicide in 2023, which is a daily average of
17.5;
(2) in 2023, suicide was the 12th leading cause of death for veterans
and was the 2nd leading cause of death for veterans under age 45; and
(3) the suicide rate was highest among veterans between the ages of 18
and 34; and
Whereas it would be appropriate to observe May 2026 as ``Mental Health Awareness
Month'': Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) supports the designation of ``Mental Health Awareness
Month'' to remove the stigma associated with mental illness and
place emphasis on scientific findings regarding mental health
recovery;
(2) declares mental health a national priority;
(3) supports the expansion of funding for mental health
services;
(4) recognizes that mental well-being is equally as
important as physical well-being for citizens, communities,
schools, businesses, and the economy in the United States;
(5) applauds the coalescing of national, State, local,
medical, and faith-based organizations in working to promote
public awareness of mental health and providing critical
information and supports to individuals and families affected
by mental illness; and
(6) encourages all to draw on Mental Health Awareness Month
as an opportunity to promote mental well-being and awareness,
ensure access to appropriate coverage and services, and support
an overall quality of life for those living with mental
illness.
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