Improving Measurements for Loneliness and Isolation Act of 2025
This bill would require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to create a Working Group on Unifying Loneliness Research to develop standardized measurements and common definitions for loneliness and isolation. The aim is to enable consistent use of these measures across federal and private research and in health care settings, with an emphasis on capturing enough detail to guide policy and program decisions. The group would include senior officials from multiple HHS agencies and representatives from six states (three with high mental-health practitioner shortages and three with low shortages, as identified by a designated HRSA source, with Governors designating the representatives). The act also requires a public, one-year report to Congress, at least three meetings, and a sunset date of December 31, 2027.
Key Points
- 1Establishes the Working Group on Unifying Loneliness Research within the Department of Health and Human Services to develop standardized measurements for loneliness and isolation.
- 2Defines key terms: isolation as an objective lack of social relationships or limited contact, and loneliness as a subjective feeling of being isolated.
- 3Specifies composition: senior representatives from major HHS agencies (e.g., CMS, CDC, NIH, ACL, SAMHSA, HRSA, AHRQ) and other beneficial experts; plus one representative from each of the three states with the highest mental-health practitioner shortage designations and three with the lowest, as identified by the Governor.
- 4Sets reporting requirements: a report to Congress within one year of enactment, available to the public online, and at least three meetings during its work; the report goes to specified House and Senate committees.
- 5Includes a sunset provision: the section ceases to be effective at the end of 2027.