I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2544 
To require the Director of the National Institutes of Health to carry out 
a study to add to the scientific knowledge on reducing teacher stress 
and increasing teacher retention and well-being, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 18, 2017 
Mr. RYAN of Ohio (for himself and Mrs. DAVIS of California) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the 
Workforce, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, 
for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case 
for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the 
committee concerned 
A BILL 
To require the Director of the National Institutes of Health 
to carry out a study to add to the scientific knowledge 
on reducing teacher stress and increasing teacher reten-
tion and well-being, 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 ‘‘Teacher Health and 
Wellness Act’’. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:15 May 27, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2544.IH
H2544
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) High levels of stress are adversely affecting 
teachers’ health. Teachers with high levels of stress 
are less effective in raising student achievement than 
their healthier peers. 
(2) Elementary school teachers who have great-
er stress and show more symptoms of depression 
create classroom environments that are less condu-
cive to learning. 
(3) Stress is contributing to the high turnover 
rate among teachers, which causes instability for 
students and communities. This leads to higher costs 
for school districts to train new teachers and hinders 
students’ academic success. 
(4) School organization, low job autonomy, and 
a lack of ability to access teacher leadership oppor-
tunities are main sources of teacher stress. If teach-
ers are unable to manage their stress levels, this 
leads to lower level teacher instruction, which then 
impacts student well-being. 
(5) High teacher turnover brings down stu-
dents’ math and language arts scores. 
(6) According to a 2014 Gallup survey, 46 per-
cent of teachers experience high daily stress during 
the school year. This percentage is tied for the high-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:15 May 27, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2544.IH
H2544
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
est rate of high daily stress among occupations and 
is a significant increase from teacher stress levels in 
1985. 
(7) Stress affects the health and well-being of 
teachers. In a study of high school teachers, 46 per-
cent of teachers were diagnosed with excessive day-
time sleepiness and 51 percent with poor sleep qual-
ity, which compromises health quality of life and 
teaching performance. 
SEC. 3. STUDY ON REDUCING TEACHER STRESS AND IN-
CREASING TEACHER RETENTION AND WELL- 
BEING. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Director of the National In-
stitutes of Health shall carry out a five-year study on re-
ducing teacher stress and increasing teacher retention and 
well-being by implementing and analyzing the results of 
any of the following programs: 
(1) Workplace wellness programs that are de-
signed to improve teacher health, attendance, and 
engagement. 
(2) Social emotional learning programs that 
help teachers improve student engagement in the 
classroom. 
(3) Teacher stress management programs that 
improve teacher performance. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:15 May 27, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2544.IH
H2544
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
(4) Mentoring and induction programs during 
the school year and teacher pre-service that improve 
teacher well-being. 
(5) Organizational interventions such as prin-
cipal training programs that reduce stress through 
supervisor/peer support and increasing opportunities 
for teachers to participate in professional learning 
communities, teacher leadership positions, and deci-
sion making regarding school interventions and man-
agement. 
(6) Teacher residency programs that provide 
mental health and psychological support. 
(7) Complementary health approaches, such as 
mindfulness meditation, that improve teacher per-
formance. 
(8) School reorganization that creates the con-
ditions to facilitate the transmission and sharing of 
knowledge among teachers. 
(9) Other innovative evidence-based approaches 
that reduce stress and increase well-being in the 
teaching profession, which may include increased 
compensation. 
(b) REPORT.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than one year 
after the end of the study carried out under sub-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:15 May 27, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2544.IH
H2544
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
section (a), the Director shall submit to the Com-
mittee on Education and the Workforce of the 
House of Representatives and the Committee on 
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Sen-
ate a report including— 
(A) the results of the study carried out 
under subsection (a); and 
(B) recommendations for— 
(i) decreasing teacher stress and in-
creasing teacher retention and well-being; 
and 
(ii) lowering stress-related health care 
costs for teachers. 
(2) AVAILABILITY.—The Director shall make 
publicly available the report submitted under para-
graph (1). 
(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) COMPLEMENTARY
HEALTH
APPROACH.— 
The term ‘‘complementary health approach’’ includes 
integrative health care, adjunctive health care, and 
functional medicine. 
(2) DIRECTOR.—The term ‘‘Director’’ means 
the Director of the National Institutes of Health. 
(3) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.—The 
term ‘‘institution of higher education’’ has the 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:15 May 27, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2544.IH
H2544
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
meaning given that term in section 101(a) of the 
Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a)). 
(4) STATE EDUCATIONAL AGENCY.—The term 
‘‘State educational agency’’ has the meaning given 
that term in section 8101 of the Elementary and 
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801). 
(d) NO ADDITIONAL FUNDS AUTHORIZED.—No ad-
ditional funds are authorized to carry out the require-
ments of this Act. Such requirements shall be carried out 
using amounts otherwise authorized. 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:15 May 27, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H2544.IH
H2544
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS