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Boosting Mental Health Recovery: Professionalizing Peer Support Specialists.

This law aims to improve access to mental health and substance use recovery services by professionalizing and expanding the peer support workforce. It establishes an official occupational category for individuals with lived recovery experience (peer support specialists) and creates a dedicated Office of Recovery within a federal agency to coordinate training and best practices. Furthermore, the act mandates a study to identify and remove legal barriers, such as overly restrictive criminal background checks, that prevent qualified individuals in recovery from entering this profession.
Key points
Establishes a new, official occupational category for "peer support specialists"—individuals who have personal experience recovering from mental health or substance use disorders.
Creates a federal Office of Recovery to lead the development, training, and professionalization of this workforce, aiming to improve service quality and availability.
Requires a review of state criminal background check laws to reduce unnecessary barriers for qualified individuals seeking certification as peer support specialists.
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Additional Information
Print number: 118_S_2733
Sponsor: Sen. Kaine, Tim [D-VA]
Process start date: 2023-09-06
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Summarized by: gemini-2.5-flash-preview-09-2025
Source data: api.congress.gov
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OFFICIAL LEGAL TITLE

PEER Support Act

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is the official ID of this bill?

The official print number for this legislation is 118_S_2733.

Which chamber initiated this legislation?

This legislation was initiated in the Senate.

When did the legislative process begin?

The process officially started on 2023-09-06.

What are the main provisions?

Key points include:

  • Establishes a new, official occupational category for "peer support specialists"—individuals who have personal experience recovering from mental health or substance use disorders.
  • Creates a federal Office of Recovery to lead the development, training, and professionalization of this workforce, aiming to improve service quality and availability.
  • Requires a review of state criminal background check laws to reduce unnecessary barriers for qualified individuals seeking certification as peer support specialists.
What is the specific legal status?

The current status is Expired.

Where can I read the full text of this legislation?

The full official text is available at: View full text

Who is the primary sponsor?

The primary sponsor is Sen. Kaine, Tim [D-VA].

What is the latest detailed status?

The latest detailed status is: Introduced in Senate

Is this summary verified?

Yes. This content was analyzed by AI and verified by the Lustra Judge System on 2025-12-26.

CATEGORIES

Health Labor