I 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1710 

To include family therapists on the list of professionals recognized to provide 

public school mental health services under the Elementary and Secondary 

Education Act of 1965. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 25, 2009 

Mr. SOUDER (for himself, Mr. KENNEDY, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. HARE, and Mr. 

YARMUTH) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor 

A BILL 

To include family therapists on the list of professionals recognized to provide public school mental health services 

under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 

1965. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. INCLUSION OF FAMILY THERAPISTS. 

4 The Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 

5 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.) is amended— 

6 (1) in section 4151 (20 U.S.C. 7161)— 

7 (A) in paragraph (9), by inserting ‘‘family 

8 therapist,’’ after ‘‘school social worker,’’; and 


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1 (B) in paragraph (10), by inserting ‘‘State 

2 licensed or State certified family therapists,’’ 

3 after ‘‘psychologists,’’; 

4 (2) in section 5421 (20 U.S.C. 7245)— 

5 (A) in subsection (a)(2)(A), by striking ‘‘, 

6 and students to school psychologists’’ and in7 serting ‘‘, students to school psychologists, and 

8 students to family therapists’’; 

9 (B) in subsection (c)(2)— 

10 (i) in subparagraph (D), by striking 

11 ‘‘, or child and adolescent psychiatrists’’ 

12 and inserting ‘‘, child and adolescent psy13 chiatrists, or family therapists’’; 

14 (ii) in subparagraph (G), by striking 

15 ‘‘, and child and adolescent psychiatrists’’ 

16 and inserting ‘‘, child and adolescent psy17 chiatrists, and family therapists’’; and 

18 (iii) in subparagraph (L), by striking 

19 ‘‘, or child and adolescent psychiatrists’’ 

20 and inserting ‘‘, child and adolescent psy21 chiatrists, or family therapists’’; 

22 (C) in subsection (e)— 

23 (i) in paragraph (4)(C), by striking 

24 ‘‘and’’ after the semicolon at the end; 


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1 (ii) in paragraph (5)(B)(ii), by strik2 ing the period at the end and inserting ‘‘; 

3 and’’; and 

4 (iii) by adding at the end the fol5 lowing: 

6 ‘‘(6) the term ‘family therapist’ means an indi7 vidual who— 

8 ‘‘(A) is licensed or certified in marriage 

9 and family therapy by the State in which the 

10 individual works; and 

11 ‘‘(B) practices in the scope of the individ12 ual’s education, training, and experience with 

13 children in school settings.’’; and 

14 (D) in subsection (f)(2)— 

15 (i) in subparagraph (B), by striking 

16 ‘‘and’’ after the semicolon; 

17 (ii) in subparagraph (C), by striking 

18 the period at the end and inserting ‘‘; 

19 and’’; and 

20 (iii) by adding at the end the fol21 lowing: 

22 ‘‘(D) family therapists.’’; and 

23 (3) in section 9101(36)(A) (20 U.S.C. 

24 7801(36)(A)), by inserting ‘‘State licensed or State 


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1 certified family therapists,’’ after ‘‘school psycholo2 gists,’’. 

Æ 


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