119-s1895

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1895 Introduced in Senate

    (IS) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 S. 1895

 To establish the Mental Health Excellence in Schools Program to 
 increase the recruitment and retention of school-based mental health 
 services providers, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

 May 22, 2025

 Mr. Young (for himself, Mrs. Shaheen, and Mr. Cramer) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
 Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To establish the Mental Health Excellence in Schools Program to 
 increase the recruitment and retention of school-based mental health 
 services providers, and for other purposes.

 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

 This Act may be cited as the ``Mental Health Excellence in Schools 
Act''.

SEC. 2. PROGRAM TO ESTABLISH PUBLIC-PRIVATE CONTRIBUTIONS TO INCREASE 
 THE AVAILABLE WORKFORCE OF SCHOOL-BASED MENTAL HEALTH 
 SERVICE PROVIDERS.

    (a) Program Authorized.--The Secretary shall carry out a program 
under which eligible graduate institutions may enter into an agreement 
with the Secretary to cover a portion of the cost of attendance of a 
participating student, which contributions shall be matched by 
equivalent contributions towards such cost of attendance by the 
Secretary.

    (b) Designation of Program.--The program under this section shall 
be known as the ``Mental Health Excellence in Schools Program''.
            (c) Agreements.--The Secretary shall enter into an agreement with 
each eligible graduate institution seeking to participate in the 
program under this section. Each agreement shall specify the following:

    (1) The manner (whether by direct grant, scholarship, or 
 otherwise) in which the eligible graduate institution will 
 contribute to the cost of attendance of a participating 
 student.

    (2) The maximum amount of the contribution to be made by 
 the eligible graduate institution with respect to any 
 particular participating student in any given academic year.

    (3) The maximum number of individuals for whom the eligible 
 graduate institution will make contributions in any given 
 academic year.

    (4) That the eligible graduate institution, in selecting 
 participating students to receive assistance under the program, 
 shall prioritize the participating students described in 
 subsection
            (d) (2) .

    (5) Such other matters as the Secretary and the eligible 
 graduate institution determine appropriate.
            (d) Outreach.--The Secretary shall--

    (1) make publicly available and periodically update on the 
 internet website of the Department of Education a list of the 
 eligible graduate institutions participating in the program 
 under this section that shall specify, for each such eligible 
 graduate institution, appropriate information on the agreement 
 between the Secretary and such eligible graduate institution 
 under subsection
            (c) ; and

    (2) conduct outreach about the program under this section 
 to participating students who, as undergraduates--
        (A) received a Federal Pell Grant under 

section 401 
 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070a); 
 or
        (B) attended an institution listed in 

section 371

    (a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
 1067q

    (a) ).

    (e) Matching Contributions.--The Secretary may provide a 
contribution of up to 50 percent of the cost of attendance of a 
participating student if the eligible graduate institution at which 
such student is enrolled enters into an agreement under subsection
            (c) with the Secretary to match such contribution.

    (f) Monitoring and Evaluation.--As a condition of participation in 
the program under this section, each eligible graduate institution 
shall agree to submit an annual report to the Secretary describing--

    (1) the number of students served by the program;

    (2) the percentage of tuition cost covered by the program;

    (3) the number of participating students who were also 
 recipients of a Federal Pell Grant; and

    (4) as applicable, the graduation rates and post-graduate 
 employment of participating students.

    (g) Interim Report.--Not later than 2 years after the first 
contributions are provided under this section, the Secretary shall 
submit an interim report to Congress based on the annual reports 
required by subsection

    (f) .

    (h) Independent National Evaluation.--

    (1) In general.--Not later than 4 years after the date of 
 enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall provide for the 
 commencement of an independent national evaluation of the 
 outcomes and effectiveness of the program under this section.

    (2) Report to congress.--Not later than 90 days after 
 receiving the results of such independent national evaluation, 
 the Secretary shall submit a report to Congress containing the 
 findings of the evaluation and the Secretary's recommendations 
 for improvements to the program.
            (i) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this Act--

    (1) $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2026;

    (2) $30,000,000 for fiscal year 2027; and

    (3) $50,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2028 through 
 2030.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

 In this Act:

    (1) Cost of attendance.--The term ``cost of attendance'' 
 has the meaning given the term in 

section 472 of the Higher 
 Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087ll).

    (2) Eligible graduate institution.--The term ``eligible 
 graduate institution'' means an institution of higher education 
 that offers a program of study that leads to a graduate 
 degree--
        (A) in school psychology that is accredited or 
 approved by the National Association of School 
 Psychologists' Program Accreditation Board or the 
 Commission on Accreditation of the American 
 Psychological Association and that prepares students in 
 such program for the State licensing or certification 
 examination in school psychology at the specialist 
 level;
        (B) in an accredited school counseling program that 
 prepares students in such program for the State 
 licensing or certification examination in school 
 counseling;
            (C) in school social work that is accredited by the 
 Council on Social Work Education and that prepares 
 students in such program for the State licensing or 
 certification examination in school social work;
            (D) in another school-based mental health field 
 that prepares students in such program for the State 
 licensing or certification examination in such field, 
 if applicable; or
        (E) in any combination of study described in 
 subparagraphs
        (A) through
            (D) .

    (3) Institution of higher education.--The term 
 ``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given such 
 term in 

section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
 U.S.C. 1001).

    (4) Participating student.--The term ``participating 
 student'' means an individual who is enrolled in a graduate 
 degree program in a school-based mental health field at a 
 participating eligible graduate institution.

    (5) School-based mental health field.--The term ``school-
 based mental health field'' means each of the following fields:
        (A) School counseling.
        (B) School social work.
            (C) School psychology.
            (D) Any other field of study that leads to 
 employment as a school-based mental health services 
 provider, as determined by the Secretary.

    (6) School-based mental health services provider.--The term 
 ``school-based mental health services provider'' has the 
 meaning given the term in 

section 4102 of the Elementary and 
 Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7112).

    (7) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
 of Education.
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