II 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 3525 

To require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to maintain a 

peer-to-peer support line to provide emotional support, information, brief 

intervention, and mental health resources to youth who are experiencing 

stress or who are at risk of, or affected by, mental health disorders, 

and to establish a grant program for local educational agencies to employ 

school-based mental health coordinators. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

DECEMBER 14, 2023 

Mr. CASEY (for himself and Mr. BROWN) introduced the following bill; which 

was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, 

Labor, and Pensions 

A BILL 

To require the Secretary of Health and Human Services 

to maintain a peer-to-peer support line to provide emotional support, information, brief intervention, and mental health resources to youth who are experiencing stress 

or who are at risk of, or affected by, mental health 

disorders, and to establish a grant program for local 

educational agencies to employ school-based mental 

health coordinators. 

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

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•S 3525 IS

1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Supporting All Stu3 dents Act’’. 

4 SEC. 2. YOUTH PEER-TO-PEER SUPPORT LINE. 

5 Title V of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 

6 290aa et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 

7 520E–4 the following: 

8 ‘‘SEC. 520E–5. YOUTH PEER-TO-PEER SUPPORT LINE. 

9 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, acting through 

10 the Assistant Secretary, shall maintain, directly or by 

11 grant or contract, a national peer-to-peer support line, ad12 ministered through the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline 

13 maintained pursuant to section 520E–3(b)(2), to provide 

14 emotional support, information, brief intervention, and 

15 mental health resources to youth who are experiencing 

16 stress or are at risk of, or affected by, mental health dis17 orders. 

18 ‘‘(b) REQUIREMENTS FOR PEER-TO-PEER SUPPORT

19 LINE.—The peer-to-peer support line under subsection (a) 

20 shall— 

21 ‘‘(1) be a real-time line that is available 24 

22 hours a day, 7 days a week, with adult staff re23 sponding to calls, texts, and messages during the 

24 hours in which youth peers are not available; 

25 ‘‘(2) provide support through voice, text, and 

26 chat functions; 

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1 ‘‘(3) be accessible directly through a phone line 

2 and web interface that is specific to the peer-to-peer 

3 support line, as well as through referrals from the 

4 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline; and 

5 ‘‘(4) be staffed by trained youth peers, super6 vised by licensed health care professionals or li7 censed mental health professionals who are trained 

8 in— 

9 ‘‘(A) youth mental health disorder preven10 tion and intervention; 

11 ‘‘(B) providing support to help school-age 

12 youth and young adults cope with stress, in13 cluding stress related to academics, athletics, fi14 nancial or health challenges, interpersonal rela15 tionships, social isolation, social media, and bul16 lying or cyberbullying; 

17 ‘‘(C) providing culturally and linguistically 

18 appropriate support; and 

19 ‘‘(D) providing mental health peer support 

20 services to meet the specific needs of youth, in21 cluding the needs of— 

22 ‘‘(i) underserved populations; 

23 ‘‘(ii) people with disabilities; and 

24 ‘‘(iii) foster youth and former foster 

25 youth. 

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1 ‘‘(c) ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS.—In maintaining 

2 the peer-to-peer support line under subsection (a), the 

3 Secretary shall— 

4 ‘‘(1) consult with the Domestic Violence Hotline 

5 to ensure that youth are connected in real-time to 

6 the appropriate specialized hotline service, when ap7 plicable; 

8 ‘‘(2) conduct a public awareness campaign for 

9 the peer-to-peer support line; and 

10 ‘‘(3) consult with Federal departments and 

11 agencies to increase awareness regarding the peer12 to-peer support line. 

13 ‘‘(d) ANNUAL REPORT.—The Secretary shall submit 

14 an annual report to Congress on the peer-to-peer support 

15 line under subsection (a) and implementation of this sec16 tion, including— 

17 ‘‘(1) an evaluation of the effectiveness of activi18 ties conducted or supported under subsection (a); 

19 ‘‘(2) a directory of entities or organizations to 

20 which staff maintaining the peer-to-peer support line 

21 funded under this section may make referrals; and 

22 ‘‘(3) such additional information as the Sec23 retary determines appropriate. 

24 ‘‘(e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—To 

25 carry out this section, there are authorized to be approVerDate Sep 11 2014 23:30 Jan 03, 2024 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3525.IS S3525
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1 priated such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal 

2 years 2024 through 2029.’’. 

3 SEC. 3. SCHOOL-BASED MENTAL HEALTH COORDINATORS 

4 GRANT PROGRAM. 

5 (a) LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCY DEFINITION.—In 

6 this section the term ‘‘local educational agency’’ has the 

7 meaning given that term in section 8101 of the Elemen8 tary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 

9 7801). 

10 (b) PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.—The Secretary of Edu11 cation, in consultation with the Secretary of Health and 

12 Human Services, shall award grants, on a competitive 

13 basis, to local educational agencies to enable local edu14 cational agencies to recruit and employ mental health co15 ordinators who are not licensed to provide mental health 

16 counseling or psychological services, who can support the 

17 work of licensed mental health professionals, in accord18 ance with subsection (d). 

19 (c) APPLICATION; PRIORITY.— 

20 (1) APPLICATION.—A local educational agency 

21 desiring a grant under this section shall submit an 

22 application to the Secretary of Education at such 

23 time, in such manner, and containing such informa24 tion as the Secretary of Education may reasonably 

25 require. 

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1 (2) PRIORITY.—In selecting local educational 

2 agencies for an award under this section, the Sec3 retary of Education shall give priority to local edu4 cational agencies that serve schools located in high5 poverty communities. 

6 (d) AUTHORIZED ACTIVITIES.—A local educational 

7 agency receiving a grant under this section shall use grant 

8 funds to recruit and employ mental health coordinators 

9 who are not licensed to provide mental health counseling 

10 or psychological services, who can partner with licensed 

11 mental health professionals to extend mental health sup12 port to all students. Those mental health coordinators 

13 shall carry out the following activities at schools served 

14 by the local educational agency: 

15 (1) Providing information about school and 

16 community-based wellness and mental health re17 sources to students, parents, faculty, and staff. 

18 (2) Working with licensed mental health profes19 sionals to identify and regularly meet with students 

20 who are experiencing stress, social isolation, family 

21 instability, homelessness, or other adverse childhood 

22 experiences. 

23 (3) Supporting students in strengthening their 

24 social support network and increasing their access 

25 to, and engagement in, positive activities. 

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1 (4) Establishing relationships with community2 based mental health providers, including child and 

3 adolescent therapists, family therapists, 

4 neuropsychologists, and child and adolescent psychi5 atrists, and facilitating the transition from school- to 

6 community-based care as needed. 

7 (5) Providing information about community8 based resources available to support basic needs, 

9 such as housing and nutrition. 

10 (e) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—The Secretary shall 

11 disseminate information regarding the grant program 

12 under subsection (b) to local educational agencies, includ13 ing those serving high-poverty communities, and provide 

14 technical assistance to local educational agencies regard15 ing an application under subsection (c)(1). 

16 (f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—To carry 

17 out this section, there are authorized to be appropriated 

18 such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 

19 2024 through 2029. 

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