Improving Measurements for Loneliness and Isolation Act of 2025
Summary
What This Bill Does
The Improving Measurements for Loneliness and Isolation Act creates a national Working Group on Unifying Loneliness Research within HHS. The group must recommend standardized measurements of loneliness and isolation for public and private research, surveys across populations, strategic decisionmaking, health care fields, and evaluation of strategies to combat loneliness and isolation. It must also recommend standardized definitions of loneliness, isolation, and related terms and assess previous public and private measurement methods. Members include senior representatives from HHS, CMS, CDC, ACL, NIH, SAMHSA, HRSA, AHRQ, other experts chosen by the Secretary, and state representatives from the three states with the highest and lowest practitioner needs to remove mental health HPSA designations. The group must meet at least three times, submit a public report within one year to five congressional committees, and sunsets at the end of calendar year 2027.
Who Benefits and How
Loneliness researchers benefit from standardized definitions and measurement recommendations across surveys and health care fields. Public health agencies benefit from coordinated federal tools for measuring isolation and loneliness. Mental health policymakers benefit from state representation tied to health professional shortage area needs. Health care organizations benefit if consistent measurement tools improve screening, planning, and evaluation.
Who Bears the Burden and How
HHS must establish, staff, and coordinate the Working Group and public report. CMS, CDC, ACL, NIH, SAMHSA, HRSA, and AHRQ must contribute senior representatives and expertise. Selected state representatives must participate in working group meetings and recommendations. Researchers using older measures may need to adapt to standardized definitions and tools.
Key Provisions
- Establishes the Working Group on Unifying Loneliness Research within HHS.
- Requires recommendations for standardized loneliness and isolation measurements and definitions.
- Requires representation from major HHS agencies and selected high-need and low-need mental health workforce states.
- Requires at least three meetings and a public report to Congress within one year before the authority sunsets in 2027.
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
Creates an HHS-led Working Group on Unifying Loneliness Research to standardize loneliness and isolation measurements, definitions, federal coordination, and public reporting by the end of 2027.
Key Policy Areas
Health Care, Mental Health, Research
Primary Purpose
Creates an HHS-led Working Group on Unifying Loneliness Research to standardize loneliness and isolation measurements, definitions, federal coordination, and public reporting by the end of 2027.
Policy Domains
Resolution provisions
Identified Gains
- Loneliness researchers
- Public health agencies
- Mental health policymakers
- Health care organizations
Identified Costs
- HHS
- CMS and CDC
- State representatives
- Researchers using older measures
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
In CommitteeMr. Flood (for himself and Mr. Bera) introduced the following …
Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Introduced in House
Stakeholder Effects
cui bono?How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
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