I 
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. GARCI´A 
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 edu-
cational agencies. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives 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’’. 
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SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) BEST PRACTICES.—The term ‘‘best prac-
tices’’ means a technique or methodology that, 
through experience and research related to profes-
sional 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 insti-
tution of higher education that offers a program of 
study that leads to a masters or other graduate de-
gree— 
(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 Accred-
itation of the American Psychological Associa-
tion and that prepares students in such pro-
gram for the State licensing or certification ex-
amination in school psychology; 
(B) in school counseling that prepares stu-
dents 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 
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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 examina-
tion in such field, if applicable; or 
(E) in any combination of study described 
in subparagraphs (A) through (D). 
(3) ELIGIBLE PARTNERSHIP.—The term ‘‘eligi-
ble 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 edu-
cational agencies may not have a sufficient ele-
mentary school and secondary school student 
population to support the placement of all par-
ticipating graduate students, a partnership be-
tween a State educational agency, on behalf of 
1 or more low-income local educational agen-
cies, and 1 or more eligible graduate institu-
tions. 
(4) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.—The 
term ‘‘institution of higher education’’ has the 
meaning given such term in section 102 of the High-
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er Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002), but ex-
cludes 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 edu-
cational agency’’ means a public board of edu-
cation or other public authority legally con-
stituted within a State for either administrative 
control or direction of, or to perform a service 
function for, public elementary schools or sec-
ondary 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
DI-
RECTION.—The term includes any other public 
institution or agency having administrative con-
trol 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 Bu-
reau of Indian Education but only to the extent 
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that including the school makes the school eligi-
ble 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 pop-
ulation of the local educational agency receiving 
assistance under this Act with the smallest stu-
dent population, except that the school shall not 
be subject to the jurisdiction of any State edu-
cational agency other than the Bureau of In-
dian 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 AGEN-
CY.—The term ‘‘low-income local educational agen-
cy’’ 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 
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determined by the Bureau of the Census on the 
basis of the most recent satisfactory data avail-
able; 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 psycholo-
gist per 500 students, and not more than 1 
school social worker per 250 students. 
(7) PARTICIPATING ELIGIBLE GRADUATE INSTI-
TUTION.—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 grad-
uate degree in a school-based mental health 
field from a participating eligible graduate in-
stitution and has obtained a State license or 
credential in the school-based mental health 
field; and 
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(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 EDU-
CATIONAL AGENCY.—The term ‘‘participating low-in-
come 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
SERV-
ICES
PROVIDER.—The term ‘‘school-based mental 
health services provider’’ has the meaning given the 
term in section 4102 of the Elementary and Sec-
ondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7112). 
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(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 Sec-
ondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801). 
(14) STUDENT SUPPORT PERSONNEL TARGET 
RATIOS.—The term ‘‘student support personnel tar-
get 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 ‘‘un-
accompanied youth’’ has the meaning given such 
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term in section 725 of the McKinney-Vento Home-
less 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 be-
half of an eligible partnership, shall submit to the Sec-
retary a grant application. The application shall contain 
such information as the Secretary may require, includ-
ing— 
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(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 Sec-
retary 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 mak-
ing its recommendations, the peer review panel shall 
take into account the purpose of this Act and the 
application requirements under subsection (c), in-
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cluding the quality of the proposed pipeline program 
described in subsection (c)(2)(A). 
(3) CONSIDERATION OF PANEL’S RECOMMENDA-
TION.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary may 
award grants under this section to eligible part-
nerships only after taking into consideration the 
recommendations of the peer review panel pro-
vided under this subsection. 
(B) EXPLANATION.—In any case where 
the Secretary decides to not follow the rec-
ommendations 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 mem-
bers: 
(i) One clinical, tenured, or tenure 
track faculty member at an institution of 
higher education with a current appoint-
ment, as of the time of service on the 
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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 appoint-
ment, 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 appoint-
ment, 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 appoint-
ment 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. 
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(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 edu-
cational agency. 
(ix) One qualified and effective teach-
er who has substantial experience working 
for a low-income local educational agency. 
(x) One community mental health pro-
vider. 
(B) CLINICAL
FACULTY
MEMBER.—At 
least 1 of the members described in subpara-
graph (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 partner-
ships 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 para-
graphs (1) through (3) of subsection (f) in 
schools that have higher numbers or percent-
ages of low-income students and students not 
achieving a proficient level of academic achieve-
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ment, as determined by the State, on the an-
nual 
assessments 
required 
under 
section 
1111(b) of the Elementary and Secondary Edu-
cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311(b)) in com-
parison 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 men-
tal health field, per student than other eligible 
partnerships; 
(C) include 1 or more eligible graduate in-
stitutions 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 insti-
tutions of higher education with similar pro-
grams, including sharing facilities, faculty mem-
bers, 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, 
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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 train-
ing as applicable for the degree, license, or cre-
dential program of each such student; and 
(B) offering required graduate coursework 
for students of a graduate program in a school- 
based mental health services field on the site of 
a participating low-income local educational 
agency; 
(2) for not more than the first 3 years after a 
participating graduate receives a masters or other 
graduate degree from a program in a school-based 
mental health field, or obtains a State license or cre-
dential in a school-based mental health field, to hire 
and pay all or part of the salary of the participating 
graduates working as a school-based mental health 
services provider in a school served by a partici-
pating low-income local educational agency; 
(3) to increase the number of school-based men-
tal health services providers per student in schools 
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served by participating low-income local educational 
agencies, in order to work toward the student sup-
port personnel target ratios; 
(4) to recruit, hire, and retain culturally or lin-
guistically underrepresented graduate students of 
programs in school-based mental health fields for 
placement in schools served by participating low-in-
come educational agencies; 
(5) to recruit, hire, and pay faculty as nec-
essary to increase the capacity of a participating eli-
gible graduate institution to train graduate students 
in school-based mental health fields; 
(6) to develop coursework that will— 
(A) encourage a commitment by graduate 
students in school-based mental health fields to 
work for low-income local educational agencies; 
(B) give participating graduates the knowl-
edge and skill sets necessary to meet the needs 
of— 
(i) students and families served by 
low-income local educational agencies; and 
(ii) 
teachers, 
administrators, 
and 
other staff who work for low-income local 
educational agencies; 
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(C) enable participating graduates to meet 
the unique needs of students at risk of negative 
educational outcomes, including students who— 
(i) are English language learners; 
(ii) have a parent or caregiver who is 
a migrant worker; 
(iii) have a parent or caregiver who is 
a member of the Armed Forces, including 
the National Guard, who has been de-
ployed or returned from deployment; 
(iv) are homeless, including unaccom-
panied youth; 
(v) have come into contact with the 
juvenile justice system or adult criminal 
justice system, including students currently 
or previously held in juvenile detention fa-
cilities or adult jails and students currently 
or previously held in juvenile correctional 
facilities or adult prisons; 
(vi) have been identified as eligible for 
services under the Individuals with Disabil-
ities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1400 et 
seq.) or the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 
U.S.C. 701 et seq.); 
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(vii) have been a victim to or wit-
nessed domestic violence or violence in 
their community; 
(viii) have been exposed to substance 
misuse at home or in the community; or 
(ix) are foster care youth, youth aging 
out of foster care, or former foster youth; 
and 
(D) utilize best practices determined by the 
American School Counselor Association, Na-
tional Association of Social Workers, School So-
cial Work Association of America, and National 
Association of School Psychologists and other 
relevant organizations; 
(7) to provide tuition credits to graduate stu-
dents participating in the pipeline program; and 
(8) for similar activities to fulfill the purpose of 
this Act, as the Secretary determines appropriate. 
(g) SUPPLEMENT NOT SUPPLANT.—Funds made 
available under this section shall be used to supplement, 
not supplant, other Federal, State, or local funds available 
for the activities described in subsection (f). 
(h) REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Each eligible partnership 
that receives a grant under this section shall prepare 
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and submit to the Secretary an annual report on the 
progress of the eligible partnership in carrying out 
the grant. Such report shall include a description 
of— 
(A) 
actual 
service 
delivery 
provided 
through the grant funds, including— 
(i) characteristics of the participating 
eligible graduate institution, including de-
scriptive information on the educational 
model used and the actual academic pro-
gram performance; 
(ii) characteristics of graduate stu-
dents participating in the pipeline program 
supported under the grant, including— 
(I) performance on any examina-
tions required by the State for 
credentialing or licensing; 
(II) demographic characteristics; 
and 
(III) graduate student retention 
rates; 
(iii) characteristics of students of the 
participating low-income local educational 
agency, including performance on any tests 
required by the State educational agency, 
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