Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation Approves Mental Health Services Act

The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation recently approved the Mental Health Services Act (S. 414), which aims to promote digital advertising platforms' transparency in mental health services. On June 24, 2025, the committee filed a report on the bill before receiving the formal Congressional Budget Office (CBO) score. The CBO score was received on July 29, 2025, and was subsequently printed in the Record.

The legislation would require digital advertising platforms to report annually to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) about advertising on their platforms for certain mental health services, including information on the number, percent, and dollar value of such advertisements. Platforms that would be affected by the bill include social media platforms, public-facing websites, online services, and mobile applications with more than 100 million unique monthly users.

Key Takeaways:

• The Mental Health Services Act (S. 414) aims to promote digital advertising platforms' transparency in mental health services.
• The bill requires digital advertising platforms to report annually to the FTC about advertising on their platforms for certain mental health services.
• The legislation affects private-sector mandates, as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA), but the cost of the mandate is estimated to be small and not exceed the threshold established in UMRA ($206 million in 2025, adjusted annually for inflation).
• S. 289, the Youth Poisoning Protection Act, would ban the sale of certain products covered by the Consumer Product Safety Act, and would not affect industrial uses or food preservation.
• S. 389, the Setting Consumer Standards for Lithium-Ion Batteries Act, would require the Consumer Product Safety Commission to adopt certain voluntary safety standards concerning rechargeable lithium-ion batteries used in electric bicycles, scooters, and other micromobility devices.
• CBO estimates that enacting S. 289, S. 389, and S. 414 would not increase net direct spending or deficits in any of the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2036.

Statistics:

• The estimated federal cost of enacting S. 414 is less than $500,000 over the 2025-2030 period.
• The cost of implementing S. 289 is estimated to be $2 million over the 2025-2030 period.
• The cost of implementing S. 389 is estimated to be $8 million over the 2025-2030 period.
• None of the bills would increase direct spending or revenues, thus pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply.
• CBO estimates that enacting S. 289, S. 389, and S. 414 would not increase net direct spending or deficits in any of the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2036.

Sources:

• Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate (July 29, 2025)
• Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
• Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010
• Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA)
• Consumer Product Safety Act
• Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
• Congressional Record