I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3489 

To authorize the Secretary of Education to establish an Advisory Commission 

on Serving and Supporting Students with Mental Health Disabilities 

in Institutions of Higher Education, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 25, 2019 

Mr. TRONE (for himself, Ms. WILD, Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania, Ms. 

SHALALA, and Mr. FITZPATRICK) introduced the following bill; which was 

referred to the Committee on Education and Labor 

A BILL 

To authorize the Secretary of Education to establish an 

Advisory Commission on Serving and Supporting Students with Mental Health Disabilities in Institutions of 

Higher Education, and for other purposes. 

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

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Higher Education 

5 Mental Health Act of 2019’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES. 

7 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 


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1 (1) More than 75 percent of mental health con2 ditions begin before the age of 24. 

3 (2) More than 25 percent of students between 

4 the ages of 18 and 24 reported a mental health con5 cern. 

6 (3) More than 50 percent of students between 

7 the ages of 18 and 24 reported having a severe psy8 chological problem. 

9 (4) More than 50 percent of students between 

10 the ages of 18 and 24 reported feelings of hopeless11 ness. 

12 (5) Higher education counseling centers are de13 voting more time to rapid-response treatment with 

14 more than 25 percent of students who sought help 

15 reporting they had intentionally hurt themselves. 

16 (6) Over a 5-year period, counseling center uti17 lization increased by an average of 30 to 40 percent, 

18 while enrollment increased by only 5 percent, forcing 

19 institutions to stretch mental health services to more 

20 students without increasing resources. 

21 (b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this Act are the fol22 lowing: 

23 (1) To ensure States and institutions of higher 

24 education are provided with accurate information on 

25 the mental health concerns facing students. 


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1 (2) To provide detailed recommendations that 

2 institutions of higher education, States, and the 

3 Federal Government can take to improve the mental 

4 health services available to students and properly 

5 treat the rising number of students with mental 

6 health issues. 

7 SEC. 3. ADVISORY COMMISSION ON SERVING AND SUP8 PORTING STUDENTS WITH MENTAL HEALTH 

9 DISABILITIES IN INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER 

10 EDUCATION. 

11 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Education shall 

12 establish a commission to be known as the Advisory Com13 mission on Serving and Supporting Students with Mental 

14 Health Disabilities in Institutions of Higher Education 

15 (referred to in this section as the ‘‘Commission’’). 

16 (b) MEMBERSHIP.— 

17 (1) TOTAL NUMBER OF MEMBERS.—The Com18 mission shall include not more than 20 members, 

19 who shall be appointed by the Secretary of Edu20 cation in accordance with paragraphs (2) and (3). 

21 (2) MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION.—The 

22 Commission shall include 1 representative from each 

23 of the following: 

24 (A) The Office of Postsecondary Education 

25 of the Department of Education. 


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1 (B) The Office of Special Education and 

2 Rehabilitation Services of the Department of 

3 Education. 

4 (C) The Office of Civil Rights of the De5 partment of Education. 

6 (D) The Office of Civil Rights of the De7 partment of Justice. 

8 (E) The National Council on Disability. 

9 (F) A membership association for adminis10 trative and personnel professionals focused on 

11 creating an inclusive higher education environ12 ment for individuals with disabilities, as deter13 mined by the Secretary. 

14 (G) An organization that represents the 

15 Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with 

16 Mental Illness program, as determined by the 

17 Secretary. 

18 (H) An organization operated by and rep19 resenting secondary and postsecondary edu20 cation students with mental health disabilities 

21 advocating for mental health services and sui22 cide prevention. 

23 (I) An organization representing college 

24 and university counseling directors. 


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1 (3) ADDITIONAL MEMBERS OF THE COMMIS2 SION.—In addition to the members included under 

3 paragraph (2), the Commission shall include the fol4 lowing: 

5 (A) Four members from leadership of in6 stitutions of higher education who have dem7 onstrated experience in successfully supporting 

8 the retention and graduation of students with 

9 mental health disabilities, including from coun10 seling and psychiatric services staff. With re11 spect to such 4 members, 1 member shall be a 

12 staff member of a 2-year degree-granting insti13 tution of higher education, 1 member shall be 

14 a staff member from a 4-year degree-granting 

15 institution of higher education, 1 member shall 

16 be a member of campus law enforcement, and 

17 1 member shall serve as a general counsel. Such 

18 4 members shall represent institutions of dif19 fering sizes. 

20 (B) Three members from family members 

21 of individuals who are— 

22 (i) enrolled in an institution of higher 

23 education on the date such family member 

24 is appointed to the Commission; or 


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1 (ii) former students with a mental 

2 health disability. 

3 (C) Four members from individuals with 

4 mental health disabilities, including not less 

5 than 2 individuals enrolled in an institution of 

6 higher education on the date of appointment to 

7 the Commission. Any remaining member shall 

8 be an individual with a mental health disability 

9 who has attended an institution of higher edu10 cation. 

11 (4) TIMING.—The Secretary of Education shall 

12 establish the Commission and appoint the members 

13 of the Commission not later than 60 days after the 

14 date of enactment of this Act. 

15 (c) CHAIRPERSON AND VICE CHAIRPERSON.—The 

16 Commission shall select a chairperson and vice chair17 person from among the members of the Commission. Ei18 ther the chairperson or the vice chairperson shall be a stu19 dent or former student with a mental health disability. 

20 (d) MEETINGS.— 

21 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Commission shall meet 

22 at the call of the chairperson, but not less often than 

23 8 times. 

24 (2) FIRST MEETING.—Not later than 60 days 

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1 mission under subsection (b), the Commission shall 

2 hold the Commission’s first meeting. 

3 (e) DUTIES.—The Commission shall conduct a study, 

4 using the highest quality and most representative data and 

5 research available, and prepare a report for the Secretary 

6 of Education that includes the following: 

7 (1) Findings from stakeholders, including 

8 through solicitation of public testimony, related to 

9 the challenges faced by students with mental health 

10 disabilities in institutions of higher education, in11 cluding— 

12 (A) the services available to students with 

13 mental health disabilities in institutions of high14 er education and their effectiveness in sup15 porting these students; 

16 (B) the impact of policies and procedures 

17 that help or hinder the goal of providing equal 

18 opportunity for students with mental health dis19 abilities, such as reasonable accommodation 

20 policies, mandatory and voluntary leave policies, 

21 and disciplinary policies; 

22 (C) the use of protected health information 

23 of students with mental health disabilities by 

24 institutions of higher education, including the 

25 extent to which campus-based mental health 


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1 providers share this information with college or 

2 university officials without student consent; and 

3 (D) the impact of providing mental health 

4 services on a student’s academic performance, 

5 well-being, and ability to complete college. 

6 (2) Conclusions on the major challenges facing 

7 students with mental health disabilities in institu8 tions of higher education. 

9 (3) Recommendations to improve the overall 

10 education, and retention and graduation rates, of 

11 students with mental health disabilities in institu12 tions of higher education, with the goal of helping 

13 these students access educational opportunities equal 

14 to those of their non-disabled peers. 

15 (f) COMMISSION PERSONNEL MATTERS.— 

16 (1) TRAVEL EXPENSES.—The members of the 

17 Commission shall not receive compensation for the 

18 performance of services for the Commission, but 

19 shall be allowed reasonable travel expenses, including 

20 per diem in lieu of subsistence, at rates authorized 

21 for employees of agencies under subchapter I of 

22 chapter 57 of title 5, United States Code, while 

23 away from their homes or regular places of business 

24 in the performance of services for the Commission. 

25 Notwithstanding section 1342 of title 31, United 


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1 States Code, the Secretary of Education may accept 

2 the voluntary and uncompensated services of mem3 bers of the Commission. 

4 (2) STAFF.—The Secretary of Education may 

5 designate such personnel as may be necessary to en6 able the Commission to perform its duties. 

7 (3) DETAIL OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES.— 

8 Any Federal Government employee, with the ap9 proval of the head of the appropriate Federal agen10 cy, may be detailed to the Commission without reim11 bursement, and such detail shall be without inter12 ruption of loss of civil service status or privilege. 

13 (4) FACILITIES, EQUIPMENT, AND SERVICES.— 

14 The Secretary of Education shall make available to 

15 the Commission, under such arrangements as may 

16 be appropriate, necessary equipment, supplies, and 

17 services. 

18 (g) REPORTS.— 

19 (1) INTERIM AND FINAL REPORTS.—The Com20 mission shall prepare and submit to the Secretary of 

21 Education, as well as the Committee on Health, 

22 Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate and 

23 the Committee on Education and Labor of the 

24 House of Representatives— 


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1 (A) an interim report that summarizes the 

2 progress of the Commission, along with any in3 terim findings, conclusions, and recommenda4 tions as described in subsection (e); and 

5 (B) a final report that states final find6 ings, conclusions, and recommendations as de7 scribed in subsection (e). 

8 (2) PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION.—The re9 ports described in paragraph (1) shall be prepared 

10 and submitted— 

11 (A) in the case of the interim report, not 

12 later than 1 year after the date on which all the 

13 members of the Commission are appointed; and 

14 (B) in the case of the final report, not 

15 later than 2 years after the date on which all 

16 the members of the Commission are appointed. 

17 (h) TERMINATION.—The Commission shall terminate 

18 on the day after the date on which the Commission sub19 mits the final report under subsection (g). 

20 SEC. 4. GAO STUDY. 

21 Not later than 18 months after the date of the enact22 ment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United 

23 States shall submit to Congress a report that examines 

24 the challenges faced by students with mental health dis25 abilities in institutions of higher education, including— 


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1 (1) the services available to students with men2 tal health disabilities in institutions of higher edu3 cation and their effectiveness in supporting these 

4 students; 

5 (2) the impact of policies and procedures that 

6 help or hinder the goal of providing equal oppor7 tunity for students with mental health disabilities, 

8 such as reasonable accommodation policies, manda9 tory and voluntary leave policies, and disciplinary 

10 policies; 

11 (3) the use of protected health information of 

12 students with mental health disabilities by institu13 tions of higher education, including the extent to 

14 which campus-based mental health providers share 

15 this information with college or university officials 

16 without student consent; 

17 (4) the impact of providing mental health serv18 ices on a student’s academic performance, well19 being, and ability to complete college; 

20 (5) conclusions on the major challenges facing 

21 students with mental health disabilities in institu22 tions of higher education; and 

23 (6) recommendations to improve the overall 

24 education, and retention and graduation rates, of 

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1 tions of higher education, with the goal of helping 

2 these students access educational opportunities equal 

3 to those of their non-disabled peers. 

Æ 


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