(D) the effectiveness of any training and 
ongoing professional development provided— 
(i) to students and faculty in the ap-
propriate departments or schools of the 
participating eligible graduate institution; 
(ii) to the faculty, administration, and 
staff of the participating low-income local 
educational agency; and 
(iii) to the broader community of pro-
viders of social, emotional, behavioral, and 
related support to students and to those 
individuals who train such providers. 
(2) PUBLICATION.—The Secretary shall publish 
the annual reports submitted under paragraph (1) 
on the website of the Department of Education. 
(i) EVALUATIONS.— 
(1) INTERIM
EVALUATIONS.—The Secretary 
may conduct interim evaluations to determine 
whether each eligible partnership receiving a grant 
under this section is making adequate progress as 
the Secretary considers appropriate. The contents of 
the annual report submitted to the Secretary under 
subsection (h) may be used by the Secretary to de-
termine whether an eligible partnership receiving a 
grant is demonstrating adequate progress. 
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(2) FINAL EVALUATION.—The Secretary shall 
conduct a final evaluation to— 
(A) determine the effectiveness of the 
grant program in carrying out the purpose of 
this Act; and 
(B) compare the relative effectiveness of 
each of the various activities described by sub-
section (f) for which grant funds may be used. 
(j) REPORT.—Not earlier than 5 years, and not later 
than 6 years, after the date of enactment of this Act, the 
Secretary shall submit to Congress a report containing— 
(1) the findings of the evaluation conducted 
under subsection (i)(2); and 
(2) such recommendations as the Secretary con-
siders appropriate. 
(k) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary to carry out the pro-
gram under this section, $200,000,000 for fiscal 
year 2026 and for each succeeding fiscal year. 
(2) RESERVATION
FOR
EVALUATION.—From 
the total amount appropriated to carry out this sec-
tion each fiscal year, the Secretary shall reserve not 
more than 3 percent for evaluations under sub-
section (i). 
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SEC. 4. STUDENT LOAN REPAYMENT FOR SCHOOL-BASED 
MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES PROVIDERS. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM.—The Secretary 
shall establish and carry out a program to provide repay-
ment of student loans made, insured, or guaranteed under 
parts B, D, and E of title IV of the Higher Education 
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1071 et seq., 1087a et seq., and 
1087aa et seq.) to individuals who are employed by low- 
income local educational agencies as school-based mental 
health services providers. 
(b) AGREEMENT.—In carrying out subsection (a), the 
Secretary shall enter into agreements with individuals to 
make payments in accordance with this section on the 
principal of, and interest on, any eligible loan and the indi-
viduals agree to complete a 5-year period of consecutive 
employment by a low-income local educational agency as 
a school-based mental health services provider and facili-
tate verification of such employment annually by the Sec-
retary. 
(c) ELIGIBLE INDIVIDUAL.—In order to be eligible 
under this section, an individual shall— 
(1) be a recent graduate of an institution of 
higher education or a mid-career professional newly 
embarking on a career as a school-based mental 
health provider; and 
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(2) submit an application to the Secretary at 
such time, in such manner, and containing such in-
formation as the Secretary may require. 
(d) ELIGIBLE LOANS.—The loans eligible for repay-
ment under this section include the following: 
(1) Any Federal Family Education Loan under 
part B of title IV of the Higher Education Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1071 et seq.). 
(2) Any Federal Direct Stafford Loan, Federal 
Direct PLUS Loan, or Federal Direct Unsubsidized 
Stafford Loan, or Federal Direct Consolidation 
Loan (as such terms are used in section 455 of the 
Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087e)). 
(3) Any Federal Perkins Loan under part E of 
title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 1087aa et seq.). 
(4) Any other Federal loan made, insured, or 
guaranteed under part B, D, or E of title IV of the 
Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1071 et 
seq., 1087a et seq., and 1087aa et seq.). 
(e) PAYMENTS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall pay— 
(A) for each of the first 4 consecutive 
school years of employment as a school-based 
mental health services provider by a low-income 
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local educational agency completed, 1⁄5 of the 
principal of, and interest on, each eligible loan 
of the individual which is outstanding on the 
date the individual began such employment; and 
(B) for the 5th consecutive year of such 
employment completed, the remainder of such 
principal and interest. 
(2) MAXIMUM AGGREGATE.—The total amount 
of payments under this section to any individual 
shall not exceed $200,000 in the aggregate. 
(3) LIMITATION.—The failure by an individual 
to complete the full period of employment obligated 
pursuant to an agreement under subsection (b), 
taken alone, shall not constitute a breach of the 
agreement, so long as the individual completed in 
good faith any year or years of employment for 
which payments were made to the individual under 
paragraph (1). An individual who fails to complete 
the full period of employment obligated pursuant to 
an agreement under subsection (b) shall not be 
asked or required to pay back a payment received 
under such paragraph solely due to such failure. 
(f) ADDITIONAL ELIGIBILITY PROVISIONS.— 
(1) CONTINUED
ELIGIBILITY.—Any individual 
who is employed by a local educational agency that 
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meets the requirements of section 2(6) in the 1st 
year of the 5-year period of consecutive employment 
required under this section, but in a subsequent year 
fails to meet such requirements, may continue em-
ployment by such local educational agency and shall 
be eligible for loan repayment under this section. 
(2) DOUBLE BENEFITS.—A borrower may, for 
the same employment, receive a benefit under both 
this section and the public service loan forgiveness 
program under section 455(m) of the Higher Edu-
cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087e(m)). Each year 
of receipt of a benefit under this section shall be 
considered 12 months of payments for the purposes 
of such public service loan forgiveness program. 
(3) RECONSIDERATION.—In any case where the 
Secretary has determined that a recipient of assist-
ance under this section has failed or refused to com-
ply with the employment obligation in the agreement 
under subsection (b), the recipient may request that 
the Secretary reconsider such initial determination 
and may submit additional information to dem-
onstrate satisfaction of the employment obligation. 
Upon receipt of such a request, the Secretary shall 
reconsider the determination in accordance with this 
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paragraph not later than 90 days after the date that 
such request was received. 
(g) DIRECTORY.—The Secretary shall maintain a di-
rectory that lists the local educational agencies that meet 
the requirements of section 2(6). 
(h) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary such 
sums as may be necessary to carry out the program under 
this section. 
SEC. 5. FUTURE DESIGNATION STUDY. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall conduct a 
study to identify a formula for future designation of re-
gions with a shortage of school-based mental health serv-
ices providers to use in implementing grant programs and 
other programs such as the programs established under 
this Act or for other purposes related to any such designa-
tion. 
(b) BASIS OF FORMULA.—The formula described in 
subsection (a) shall be based on the latest available data 
regarding an area served by a low-income local educational 
agency on— 
(1) the number of residents under the age of 18 
in such area; 
(2) the percentage of the population of such 
area with incomes below the poverty line; 
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(3) the percentage of residents age 18 or older 
in such area who have earned secondary school di-
plomas; 
(4) the percentage of students in such area who 
are identified as eligible for special education serv-
ices; 
(5) the youth crime rate in such area; 
(6) the current number of full-time-equivalent 
and active school-based mental health services pro-
viders employed by the low-income local educational 
agency in such area, in the aggregate and 
disaggregated by profession; 
(7) the number of students in such area in mili-
tary families with parents in the Armed Forces (in-
cluding the National Guard and Reserves) who have 
been alerted for deployment, are currently deployed, 
or have returned from a deployment in the previous 
school year; and 
(8) such other criteria as the Secretary con-
siders appropriate. 
(c) REPORT.—Not later than 2 years after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to 
Congress a report containing the findings of the study 
conducted under subsection (a). 
Æ 
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