I 
114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 497 
To require training for teachers in social and emotional learning 
programming, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 22, 2015 
Mrs. DAVIS of California introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
the Committee on Education and the Workforce 
A BILL 
To require training for teachers in social and emotional 
learning programming, and for other purposes. 
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 ‘‘Supporting Emotional 
Learning Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
The Congress finds as follows: 
(1) A positive, healthy school community where 
children thrive and grow, both intellectually and 
emotionally, takes purposeful and thoughtful plan-
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ning. Students who develop personal strengths like 
grit, perseverance, concern for others, and positive 
academic mindsets become important contributors to 
their school and community. Schools have a respon-
sibility to nurture the intrapersonal and inter-
personal skills students need to navigate social situa-
tions and effectively and respectfully communicate 
with a diverse group of people. 
(2) In the United States, we have always placed 
an emphasis on developing academically rigorous 
curriculum, but unfortunately have not been as de-
liberate about imparting children with important so-
cial and emotional life skills. There needs to be a 
balance and integration between cognitive learning 
and social emotional learning. 
(3) While not a new concept, the term ‘‘social 
and emotional education’’ has recently become an 
important focal point for many researchers, adminis-
trators, and teachers. The term ‘‘social and emo-
tional learning’’ means the process through which 
individuals acquire and effectively apply the knowl-
edge, attitudes, and skills necessary to understand 
and manage emotions, the ability to set and achieve 
positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, es-
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tablish and maintain positive relationships, and 
make responsible decisions. 
(4) Research has shown that social and emo-
tional learning effectively boosts student academic 
success and fosters the very skills that are being uti-
lized in the workforce. Social and emotional learning 
both increases protective factors for helping children 
learn and thrive as well as reducing risks for prob-
lems in both learning and behavior. These teachable 
skills help children avoid risky behaviors such as ag-
gression and early drug and alcohol use and provide 
a springboard for being a capable student, citizen, 
and worker. 
(5) Continued research is necessary to discover 
best practices and prepare educators to integrate so-
cial-emotional skills into the curriculum and school 
culture. In addition, we need to support well-de-
signed theoretical models and implementation sup-
ports in social and emotional learning. Social and 
emotional learning should be included as a central 
component of our education system. Federal law 
needs to include language that prioritizes social and 
emotional learning for educators. 
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SEC. 3. DUTIES OF THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR EDU-
CATION RESEARCH. 
Section 133(a) of the Education Sciences Reform Act 
of 2002 (20 U.S.C. 9533(a)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (10), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the 
end; 
(2) in paragraph (11), by striking the period at 
the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(11) carry out research initiatives regarding 
the impact of social and emotional education.’’. 
SEC. 4. RESEARCH TOPICS OF THE COMMISSIONER FOR 
EDUCATION RESEARCH. 
Section 133(c)(2) of the Education Sciences Reform 
Act of 2002 (20 U.S.C. 9533(c)(2)) is amended by adding 
at the end the following: 
‘‘(L) Social and emotional skills and hab-
its.’’. 
SEC. 5. COMPREHENSIVE CENTERS. 
Section 203(f)(1)(A)(ii) of the Education Sciences 
Reform Act of 2002 (20 U.S.C. 9602(f)(1)(A)(ii)) is 
amended— 
(1) in subclause (II), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the 
end; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
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‘‘(IV) imparting social and emo-
tional life learning (as defined in sec-
tion 200(24) of the Higher Education 
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1021)); and’’. 
SEC. 6. SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL LEARNING. 
(a) DEFINITIONS.—Section 200 of the Higher Edu-
cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1021) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (13), by inserting at the end 
the following: ‘‘, except that such term includes a re-
quirement that highly qualified teachers have prepa-
ration in the understanding, use, and development of 
social and emotional learning programming’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(24) SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL LEARNING.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘social and 
emotional 
learning’ 
means 
the 
processes 
through which students acquire and effectively 
apply the following set of interrelated com-
petencies: 
‘‘(i) Self-awareness and self-manage-
ment skills to achieve academic and life 
success. 
‘‘(ii) Social awareness and relationship 
skills to establish and maintain positive re-
lationships. 
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‘‘(iii) 
Responsible 
decisionmaking 
skills and behavior in personal, school, and 
community contexts. 
‘‘(B) SELF-AWARENESS.—The term ‘self- 
awareness’ means an individual’s ability to ac-
curately recognize— 
‘‘(i) the individual’s own feelings and 
thoughts; and 
‘‘(ii) the influence of such feelings and 
thoughts on the individual’s behaviors. 
‘‘(C) SELF-MANAGEMENT.—The term ‘self- 
management’ means an individual’s ability to— 
‘‘(i) regulate the individual’s own emo-
tions, cognitions, and behaviors effectively 
in different situations; and 
‘‘(ii) set and work toward personal 
and academic goals. 
‘‘(D) SOCIAL AWARENESS.—The term ‘so-
cial awareness’ means an individual’s ability 
to— 
‘‘(i) take the perspective of and 
empathize with individuals from diverse 
backgrounds and cultures; and 
‘‘(ii) recognize family, school, and 
community resources and supports. 
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‘‘(E) RELATIONSHIP
SKILL.—The term 
‘relationship skill’ means an individual’s ability 
to establish and maintain healthy and reward-
ing relationships with individuals from diverse 
backgrounds and cultures through commu-
nicating clearly, listening actively, cooperating, 
negotiating conflict constructively, and seeking 
and offering help when needed. 
‘‘(F) 
RESPONSIBLE
DECISIONMAKING 
SKILLS AND BEHAVIOR.—The term ‘responsible 
decisionmaking skills and behavior’ means an 
individual’s ability to make constructive and re-
spectful choices about personal behavior and so-
cial interactions, based on consideration of eth-
ical standards, safety concerns, the realistic 
evaluation of consequences that stem from ac-
tions, and the well-being of self and others. 
‘‘(25) SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL LEARNING PRO-
GRAMMING.—The term ‘social and emotional learn-
ing programming’ refers to instruction, activities, 
and best practice initiatives that— 
‘‘(A) integrate social and emotional learn-
ing with academic achievement; 
‘‘(B) provide systematic instruction where-
by social and emotional skills are taught, mod-
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eled, practiced, and applied so that students use 
them as part of their daily behavior; 
‘‘(C) teach students to apply social and 
emotional skills to prevent specific problem be-
haviors such as substance use, violence, bul-
lying, and school failure, and to promote posi-
tive behaviors in class, school, and community 
activities; and 
‘‘(D) establish safe and caring learning en-
vironments that foster student participation, 
engagement, and connection to learning and 
school.’’. 
(b) TEACHER QUALITY PARTNERSHIP GRANTS.— 
Section 202 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 1022a) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (b)— 
(A) by striking the period at the end of 
paragraph (7)(D) and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(B) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(8) a description of how the eligible partner-
ship will prepare prospective and new teachers and 
principals, if applicable, to understand, use, and de-
velop social and emotional learning programming.’’; 
(2) in subsection (e)(1)(C)— 
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(A) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of clause 
(iii); 
(B) by striking the period at the end of 
clause (iv) and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(v) preparation in understanding, 
using, and developing social and emotional 
learning programming.’’; and 
(3) in subsection (f)(1)(C)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of clause 
(ii); 
(B) by striking the period at the end of 
clause (iii) and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(iv) preparation in understanding, 
using, and developing social and emotional 
learning programming.’’. 
(c) AUGUSTUS
HAWKINS
CENTERS
OF
EXCEL-
LENCE.—Section 242(b)(1)(B) of the Higher Education 
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1033a(b)(1)(B)) is amended— 
(1) in clause (i), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end; 
(2) by striking the period at the end of clause 
(ii) and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
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