I 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1710 
To include family therapists on the list of professionals recognized to provide 
public school mental health services under the Elementary and Secondary 
Education Act of 1965. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 25, 2009 
Mr. SOUDER (for himself, Mr. KENNEDY, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. HARE, and Mr. 
YARMUTH) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Education and Labor 
A BILL 
To include family therapists on the list of professionals recog-
nized to provide public school mental health services 
under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 
1965. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. INCLUSION OF FAMILY THERAPISTS. 
The Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.) is amended— 
(1) in section 4151 (20 U.S.C. 7161)— 
(A) in paragraph (9), by inserting ‘‘family 
therapist,’’ after ‘‘school social worker,’’; and 
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(B) in paragraph (10), by inserting ‘‘State 
licensed or State certified family therapists,’’ 
after ‘‘psychologists,’’; 
(2) in section 5421 (20 U.S.C. 7245)— 
(A) in subsection (a)(2)(A), by striking ‘‘, 
and students to school psychologists’’ and in-
serting ‘‘, students to school psychologists, and 
students to family therapists’’; 
(B) in subsection (c)(2)— 
(i) in subparagraph (D), by striking 
‘‘, or child and adolescent psychiatrists’’ 
and inserting ‘‘, child and adolescent psy-
chiatrists, or family therapists’’; 
(ii) in subparagraph (G), by striking 
‘‘, and child and adolescent psychiatrists’’ 
and inserting ‘‘, child and adolescent psy-
chiatrists, and family therapists’’; and 
(iii) in subparagraph (L), by striking 
‘‘, or child and adolescent psychiatrists’’ 
and inserting ‘‘, child and adolescent psy-
chiatrists, or family therapists’’; 
(C) in subsection (e)— 
(i) in paragraph (4)(C), by striking 
‘‘and’’ after the semicolon at the end; 
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(ii) in paragraph (5)(B)(ii), by strik-
ing the period at the end and inserting ‘‘; 
and’’; and 
(iii) by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(6) the term ‘family therapist’ means an indi-
vidual who— 
‘‘(A) is licensed or certified in marriage 
and family therapy by the State in which the 
individual works; and 
‘‘(B) practices in the scope of the individ-
ual’s education, training, and experience with 
children in school settings.’’; and 
(D) in subsection (f)(2)— 
(i) in subparagraph (B), by striking 
‘‘and’’ after the semicolon; 
(ii) in subparagraph (C), by striking 
the period at the end and inserting ‘‘; 
and’’; and 
(iii) by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(D) family therapists.’’; and 
(3) 
in 
section 
9101(36)(A) 
(20 
U.S.C. 
7801(36)(A)), by inserting ‘‘State licensed or State 
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