# Understanding the 9/11 Responder and Survivor Health Funding Correction Act of 2025

This bill makes several changes to the World Trade Center Health Program, which provides medical care and monitoring to people who were exposed to toxins during the September 11 attacks—including first responders like firefighters and police officers, as well as survivors who were in the area.

The main change involves who can evaluate and certify mental health conditions for program participants. Currently, only doctors can make these determinations. This bill allows other licensed mental health providers—like psychologists, counselors, and therapists—to conduct initial mental health evaluations and make certification decisions. The bill gives the program administrator 180 days to decide which types of mental health professionals can participate. This change addresses a practical problem: there aren't enough doctors available to handle all the mental health evaluations needed, so expanding who can do this work should help people get faster access to care and benefits.

The bill also increases funding for the program significantly. Starting in 2026, the program will receive at least 25 percent more money than it spent the previous year, and this funding will continue to grow each year based on both inflation and the number of people enrolled. This is a major shift because the program has faced budget constraints in recent years. The bill also clarifies that deceased responders and survivors shouldn't be counted when calculating how many people are in the program, which affects future funding calculations. Additionally, the bill extends the timeline for adding new health conditions to the program's coverage list from 90 days to 180 days, giving officials more time to review medical evidence.

Finally, the bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to report to Congress within three years with a detailed assessment of how much money the program will need through 2090, comparing past budget predictions to actual spending and making recommendations about whether the funding formula needs adjustment.

9/11 Responder and Survivor Health Funding Correction Act of 2025

Garbarino, Andrew R.

9/11 Responder and Survivor Health Funding Correction Act of 2025This bill modifies the World Trade Center Health Program (WTCHP), including by&nbsp;updating the formula for determining the program’s annual funding amounts and authorizing mental health providers to provide certain evaluations under the program.The&nbsp;WTCHP is a federal health care program (terminating in FY2090) providing responders and survivors with monitoring and treatment of certified medical conditions related to the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001. Under current law, the program’s annual federal funding is determined based on the amount specifically appropriated in the previous fiscal year, adjusted for inflation.The bill establishes a new federal&nbsp;funding&nbsp;formula for&nbsp;FY2026-FY2090 that is generally based on annual changes in the number of enrollees. The bill also increases the amounts the program may spend annually on medical research and activities relating to data collection. The bill requires the&nbsp;National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), which administers the program,&nbsp;to submit a report to Congress on the program’s projected budgetary needs and expenditures.In addition, the bill authorizes licensed mental health providers to perform initial health evaluations with respect to&nbsp;mental health conditions for purposes of determining eligibility under the WTCHP. NIOSH must issue regulations specifying the categories of mental health providers that may perform these activities.