[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6131 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 6131
To increase the recruitment and retention of school-based mental health
services providers by low-income local educational agencies.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
November 19, 2025
Ms. Chu (for herself, Mr. Fitzpatrick, Mr. Bacon, Ms. Brown, Mrs.
Cherfilus-McCormick, Ms. Craig, Ms. Dean of Pennsylvania, Ms. DeLauro,
Mr. DeSaulnier, Mr. Evans of Pennsylvania, Mr. Garcia of Illinois, Mr.
Gottheimer, Mr. Krishnamoorthi, Mr. Lynch, Mrs. McClain Delaney, Ms.
McClellan, Mr. Menendez, Ms. Norton, Mr. Panetta, Ms. Pingree, Mrs.
Ramirez, Mr. Sorensen, Mr. Soto, Ms. Strickland, Mr. Thanedar, Mr.
Thompson of Mississippi, Ms. Tokuda, and Mr. Whitesides) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and
Workforce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To increase the recruitment and retention of school-based mental health
services providers by low-income local educational agencies.
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 ``Increasing Access to Mental Health
in Schools Act''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Best practices.--The term ``best practices'' means a
technique or methodology that, through experience and research
related to professional practice in a school-based mental
health field, has proven to reliably lead to a desired result.
(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 masters or other
graduate degree--
(A) in school psychology that is accredited or
approved by the National Association of School
Psychologists' Program Approval Board (or its
successor) 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;
(B) in school counseling 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) Eligible partnership.--The term ``eligible
partnership'' means--
(A) a partnership between 1 or more low-income
local educational agencies and 1 or more eligible
graduate institutions; or
(B) in any region in which local educational
agencies may not have a sufficient elementary school
and secondary school student population to support the
placement of all participating graduate students, a
partnership between a State educational agency, on
behalf of 1 or more low-income local educational
agencies, and 1 or more eligible graduate institutions.
(4) Institution of higher education.--The term
``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given such
term in section 102 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 1002), but excludes any institution of higher education
described in section 102(a)(1)(C) of such Act.
(5) Local educational agency.--
(A) In general.--The term ``local educational
agency'' means a public board of education or other
public authority legally constituted within a State for
either administrative control or direction of, or to
perform a service function for, public elementary
schools or secondary schools in a city, county,
township, school district, or other political
subdivision of a State, or of or for a combination of
school districts or counties that is recognized in a
State as an administrative agency for its public
elementary schools or secondary schools.
(B) Administrative control and direction.--The term
includes any other public institution or agency having
administrative control and direction of a public
elementary school or secondary school.
(C) Bureau of indian education schools.--The term
includes an elementary school or secondary school
funded by the Bureau of Indian Education but only to
the extent that including the school makes the school
eligible for programs for which specific eligibility is
not provided to the school in another provision of law
and the school does not have a student population that
is smaller than the student population of the local
educational agency receiving assistance under this Act
with the smallest student population, except that the
school shall not be subject to the jurisdiction of any
State educational agency other than the Bureau of
Indian Education.
(D) Educational service agencies.--The term
includes educational service agencies and consortia of
those agencies.
(E) State educational agency.--The term includes
the State educational agency in a State in which the
State educational agency is the sole educational agency
for all public schools.
(6) Low-income local educational agency.--The term ``low-
income local educational agency'' means a local educational
agency--
(A) for which not less than 20 percent of the
students served by such agency are from families with
incomes below the poverty line as determined by the
Bureau of the Census on the basis of the most recent
satisfactory data available; and
(B) that, as of the date of application for a grant
under this Act, has ratios of school counselors, school
social workers, and school psychologists to students
served by the agency that are not more than 1 school
counselor per 275 students, not more than 1 school
psychologist per 500 students, and not more than 1
school social worker per 250 students.
(7) Participating eligible graduate institution.--The term
``participating eligible graduate institution'' means an
eligible graduate institution that is part of an eligible
partnership awarded a grant under section 3.
(8) Participating graduate.--The term ``participating
graduate'' means an individual who--
(A) has received a masters or other graduate degree
in a school-based mental health field from a
participating eligible graduate institution and has
obtained a State license or credential in the school-
based mental health field; and
(B) as a graduate student of a school-based mental
health field, was placed in a school served by a
participating low-income local educational agency to
complete required field work, credit hours,
internships, or related training as applicable.
(9) Participating low-income local educational agency.--The
term ``participating low-income local educational agency''
means a low-income local educational agency that is part of an
eligible partnership awarded a grant under section 3.
(10) 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.
(11) 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).
(12) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Education.
(13) State educational agency.--The term ``State
educational agency'' has the meaning given the term in section
8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 7801).
(14) Student support personnel target ratios.--The term
``student support personnel target ratios'' means the ratios of
school-based mental health services providers to students
recommended to enable such personnel to effectively address the
needs of students, including--
(A) at least 1 school counselor for every 250
students (as recommended by the American School
Counselor Association and American Counseling
Association);
(B) at least 1 school psychologist for every 500
students (as recommended by the National Association of
School Psychologists); and
(C) at least 1 school social worker for every 250
students (as recommended by the School Social Work
Association of America).
(15) Unaccompanied youth.--The term ``unaccompanied youth''
has the meaning given such term in section 725 of the McKinney-
Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11434a).
SEC. 3. GRANT PROGRAM TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF SCHOOL-BASED MENTAL
HEALTH SERVICES PROVIDERS EMPLOYED BY LOW-INCOME LOCAL
EDUCATIONAL AGENCIES.
(a) Grant Program Authorized.--From amounts made available to carry
out this section, the Secretary shall award grants, on a competitive
basis and after input from the peer review panel under subsection (d),
to eligible partnerships, to enable the eligible partnerships to carry
out pipeline programs to increase the number of school-based mental
health services providers employed by low-income local educational
agencies by carrying out any of the activities described by subsection
(f).
(b) Grant Period.--A grant awarded under this section shall be for
a 5-year period and may be renewed for additional 5-year periods upon a
showing of adequate progress, as determined by the Secretary.
(c) Application.--To be eligible to receive a grant under this
section, an eligible graduate institution, on behalf of an eligible
partnership, shall submit to the Secretary a grant application. The
application shall contain such information as the Secretary may
require, including--
(1) an assessment of the existing (as of the date of
application) ratios of school-based mental health services
providers (in the aggregate and disaggregated by profession) to
students enrolled in schools in each low-income local
educational agency that is part of the eligible partnership;
and
(2) a detailed description of--
(A) a plan to carry out a pipeline program to
train, place, and retain school-based mental health
services providers in low-income local educational
agencies; and
(B) the proposed allocation and use of grant funds
to carry out activities described in subsection (f).
(d) Peer Review Panel.--
(1) Establishment of panel.--The Secretary shall establish
a peer review panel to evaluate applications submitted under
subsection (c) and make recommendations to the Secretary
regarding such applications.
(2) Evaluation of applications.--In making its
recommendations, the peer review panel shall take into account
the purpose of this Act and the application requirements under
subsection (c), including the quality of the proposed pipeline
program described in subsection (c)(2)(A).
(3) Consideration of panel's recommendation.--
(A) In general.--The Secretary may award grants
under this section to eligible partnerships only after
taking into consideration the recommendations of the
peer review panel provided under this subsection.
(B) Explanation.--In any case where the Secretary
decides to not follow the recommendations of the peer
review panel, the Secretary shall provide a written
explanation of the decision to the panel and to the
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of
the Senate and the Committee on Education and Workforce
of the House of Representatives.
(4) Membership of panel.--
(A) In general.--The peer review panel shall
include at a minimum the following members:
(i) One clinical, tenured, or tenure track
faculty member at an institution of higher
education with a current appointment, as of the
time of service on the panel, to teach courses
in the subject area of school counselor
education.
(ii) One clinical, tenured, or tenure track
faculty member at an institution of higher
education with a current appointment, as of the
time of service on the panel, to teach courses
in the subject area of school social worker
education.
(iii) One clinical, tenured, or tenure
track faculty member at an institution of
higher education with a current appointment, as
of the time of service on the panel, to teach
courses in the subject area of school
psychology education.
(iv) One clinical, tenured, or tenure track
faculty member at an institution of higher
education with a current appointment to teach
courses in the subject area of teacher
education.
(v) One individual with expertise in school
counseling who works or has worked in public
schools.
(vi) One individual with expertise in
school social work who works or has worked in
public schools.
(vii) One individual with expertise in
school psychology who works or has worked in
public schools.
(viii) One administrator who works or has
worked for a low-income local educational
agency.
(ix) One qualified and effective teacher
who has substantial experience working for a
low-income local educational agency.
(x) One community mental health provider.
(B) Clinical faculty member.--At least 1 of the
members described in subparagraph (A) shall be a
clinical faculty member.
(e) Award Basis.--In awarding grants under this section, the
Secretary shall--
(1) award the first 5 grants to eligible partnerships from
5 different States; and
(2) give priority to eligible partnerships that--
(A) propose to use the grant funds to carry out the
activities described under paragraphs (1) through (3)
of subsection (f) in schools that have higher numbers
or percentages of low-income students and students not
achieving a proficient level of academic achievement,
as determined by the State, on the annual assessments
required under section 1111(b) of the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311(b)) in
comparison to other schools that are served by the low-
income local educational agency that is part of the
eligible partnership;
(B) include 1 or more low-income local educational
agencies that have fewer school-based mental health
services providers, in the aggregate or for a
particular school-based mental health field, per
student than other eligible partnerships;
(C) include 1 or more eligible graduate
institutions that offer the greatest number of graduate
programs in the greatest number of different school-
based mental health fields; and
(D) propose to collaborate with other institutions
of higher education with similar programs, including
sharing facilities, faculty members, and administrative
costs.
(f) Use of Grant Funds.--Grant funds awarded under this section may
be used--
(1) to pay the administrative costs (including supplies,
office and classroom space, supervision, mentoring, and
transportation stipends as necessary and appropriate) related
to--
(A) having graduate students of programs in school-
based mental health fields placed in schools served by
participating low-income local educational agencies to
complete required field work, credit hours,
internships, or related training as applicable for the
degree, license, or credential program of each suc