Mental Health Professionals Workforce Shortage Loan Repayment Act of 2025

This bill, titled the Mental Health Professionals Workforce Shortage Loan Repayment Act of 2025 , amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize a new loan repayment program. The program's primary goal is to alleviate critical workforce shortages by incentivizing mental health professionals to serve in designated shortage areas. The Secretary, acting through the Health Resources and Services Administration, will administer this initiative, entering into agreements with eligible individuals. Under the program, participants commit to up to six years of full-time service as a mental health professional in a mental health professional shortage area. For each year of obligated service, the Secretary will repay one-sixth of the principal and interest on eligible loans, with the remainder paid upon completion of the sixth year. The total repayment amount for any individual is capped at $250,000 , covering various federal education loans for mental health or related fields. The bill defines a "mental health professional" broadly to include physicians, nurses, social workers, therapists, and psychologists, among others, and specifies that participants cannot receive double benefits from other federal loan forgiveness programs for the same service. The Secretary is authorized to appropriate $25,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2035 to carry out this section and must report to Congress biennially on the program's impact.