Policy News
State and Federal Action on Boys and Men: A November 2026 Update
The Partnership for Male Youth · November 10, 2026
Congress has seen more bipartisan legislation on the health and well-being of boys and men in 2026 than in any recent session, but none of these bills has yet received a committee vote. Any bill not enacted before the 119th Congress ends on January 3, 2027, must be reintroduced in the next Congress to move forward.
This brief summarizes the federal bills most relevant to adolescent and young adult (AYA) males, where each stands, and what the coming weeks may bring. It also reviews recent action by states and by other countries.
State of Men's Health Act (H.R. 7602 / S. 5113)
The State of Men's Health Act would direct a Government Accountability Office study of men's health in the United States and require the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish an Office of Men's Health within 18 months of enactment. The bill authorizes no new appropriations for either purpose.
Reps. Troy A. Carter, Sr. (D-LA) and Greg Murphy, MD (R-NC) introduced the House bill on February 20, 2026. It was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce and drew 16 cosponsors, evenly divided between the parties, according to GovTrack. Sens. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) and Roger Marshall, MD (R-KS) introduced the Senate companion, S. 5113, on July 23, 2026; it was referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
The bill is endorsed by the American Urological Association, Men's Health Network, ZERO Prostate Cancer, and the American Medical Association. The AUA also launched a Men's Health Policy Alliance to support it. Since 2000, at least 15 bills in nine Congresses have proposed a federal Office of Men's Health; none has ever received a committee vote, according to the American Institute for Boys and Men.
Tech Wellness for Young Men Act (H.R. 6679) and Tech Wellness for Men Act (H.R. 6680)
The Tech Wellness for Young Men Act would direct HHS to study the mental, social, and developmental effects of excessive screen use among young males ages 12 to 25. The study would examine links to depression, anxiety, suicidality, and social withdrawal; effects on emotional development, academic performance, and attention; and compulsive gaming, streaming, and social media use. HHS would report to Congress within 12 months and identify the subgroups most affected.
A companion bill, the Tech Wellness for Men Act, would study the economic, mental health, and social consequences of screen addiction among adult men. Reps. Eugene Vindman (D-VA) and Tom Barrett (R-MI) introduced both bills on December 11, 2025. Both remain in the House Committee on Energy and Commerce with no further action, and no Senate companion has been introduced.
Other federal bills to watch
Several other 2026 bills address fathers, mentoring, and the presence of men in young males' lives. All remain at the introduction stage.
| Bill | Lead sponsors |
What it would do |
Reps. Nathaniel Moran (R-TX), Derrick Van Orden (R-WI) |
Create a council to coordinate federal agency efforts for fathers and young males, with periodic reports to the President |
|
Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) |
Require federally funded teacher residency programs to actively recruit men into K–12 teaching |
|
Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ); Sen. John Curtis (R-UT), cosponsor; Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA), House companion |
Prioritize federal service-program funding for programs that recruit men into mentoring, coaching, and community service |
|
Bicameral |
Include fathers in care during pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period |
What comes next
The post-election session that runs through December is the last opportunity for these bills in the 119th Congress. If they do not advance, sponsors would need to reintroduce them after the 120th Congress convenes in January 2027, and any cosponsorships would start over.
One adjacent bill is moving with more visible momentum. On November 3, 45 state and territorial attorneys general urged Congress to pass the Senate version of the Kids Online Safety Act. It is not specific to young males, but it overlaps with the screen-use concerns behind the Tech Wellness bills.
State activity in brief
States are moving faster than Congress. Virginia created the nation's first Boys and Men Advisory Commission in 2026, with near-unanimous bipartisan votes in both chambers; the commission held its first meeting on July 20. In Utah, Gov. Spencer Cox established a Task Force on the Well-being of Men and Boys in 2023, the first statewide effort of its kind, focused on health, education and work, and purpose. California enacted AB 1956 in August, making boys and young males a priority population for the state Office of Suicide Prevention and building on Gov. Newsom's July 2025 executive order. In Maryland, Gov. Moore's Young Men and Boys Initiative directs every cabinet agency to act, and HB 341, which would create a Maryland Commission for Boys' and Men's Health, had a hearing but did not pass. In Michigan, Gov. Whitmer has directed state agencies to expand outreach to men in tuition-free college and training programs. In Washington State, neither of two commission bills passed during the 2026 session, the fifth consecutive year such an effort has fallen short.
Relevant International Action
- England published its first Men's Health Strategy in 2025, a national framework for men's physical and mental health.
- Canada started work on a national Men and Boys' Health Strategy in spring 2026.
- Ireland is carrying out its second national men's health action plan (2024–2028), part of one of the longest-running national efforts in this area.
- Australia has a National Men's Health Strategy for 2020–2030, and in 2025 the federal government committed AUD $32 million to boys' and men's health programs. Australia's Parliament is also conducting an education inquiry that covers gender gaps in attainment from early learning through higher education.
This brief is for informational purposes and reflects bill status as of November 10, 2026.