I 
113TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3536 
To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to support 
teacher and school professional training on awareness of student mental 
health conditions and suicide prevention efforts. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 19, 2013 
Mrs. BEATTY (for herself, Ms. NORTON, Ms. SEWELL of Alabama, Mr. 
LOEBSACK, and Mr. CARTWRIGHT) introduced the following bill; which 
was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce 
A BILL 
To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act 
of 1965 to support teacher and school professional train-
ing on awareness of student mental health conditions 
and suicide prevention efforts. 
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 ‘‘Support Our Students 
Act of 2013’’ or the ‘‘S.O.S. Act of 2013’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
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(1) Approximately 1 in 5 children have a 
diagnosable mental illness. 
(2) Fifty percent of all lifetime cases of lived 
experience of mental illness begin by age 14, and 75 
percent by age 24. 
(3) Fifty percent of students with a mental ill-
ness, age 14 years and older, drop out of high 
school. 
(4) One in 10 children and adolescents suffer 
from mental illness severe enough to cause some 
level of impairment, but only 1 in 5 of such children 
receive specialty mental health services. 
(5) For youth between the ages of 10 and 24, 
suicide is the third leading cause of death, and an 
estimated 90 percent have a diagnosable mental 
health condition. 
(6) Annually, approximately 4,600 youth die as 
a result of suicide and another 156,000 youth ages 
10 to 24 are treated for self-inflicted injuries at 
emergency rooms. 
(7) The overwhelming majority of individuals 
including teens, who attempt suicide, have one or 
more psychiatric or mental health conditions. 
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(8) Suicide prevention and awareness efforts 
are key in combating this often preventable loss of 
life. 
SEC. 3. TRAINING TEACHERS AND SCHOOL PROFES-
SIONALS 
IN 
UNDERSTANDING 
MENTAL 
HEALTH CONDITIONS IN CHILDREN. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subpart 2 of part A of title IV 
of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 
(20 U.S.C. 7131 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end 
the following: 
‘‘SEC. 4131. TRAINING TEACHERS AND SCHOOL PROFES-
SIONALS 
IN 
UNDERSTANDING 
MENTAL 
HEALTH CONDITIONS IN CHILDREN. 
‘‘(a) PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall award 
grants to eligible State educational agencies to en-
able such agencies to award subgrants to eligible 
local educational agencies to support an existing, or 
develop a new, program that will educate teachers, 
school personnel, and specialized instructional sup-
port personnel on mental health conditions in chil-
dren, including the causes, symptoms, and impact on 
learning. 
‘‘(2) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
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‘‘(A) 
ELIGIBLE
LOCAL
EDUCATIONAL 
AGENCY.—The term ‘eligible local educational 
agency’ means a local educational agency or a 
local educational agency in partnership with a 
mental health organization, family advocacy or-
ganization, or community nonprofit organiza-
tion. 
‘‘(B) 
ELIGIBLE
STATE
EDUCATIONAL 
AGENCY.—The term ‘eligible State educational 
agency’ means a State educational agency or a 
State educational agency in partnership with a 
mental health organization, family advocacy or-
ganization, or community nonprofit organiza-
tion. 
‘‘(C) SCHOOL
PERSONNEL.—The term 
‘school personnel’ means administrators, admin-
istrative staff, custodial staff, cafeteria staff, 
transportation staff, and other school-employed 
staff who interact with students. 
‘‘(D) SPECIALIZED
INSTRUCTIONAL
SUP-
PORT PERSONNEL.—The term ‘specialized in-
structional support personnel’ means school 
counselors, school social workers, school psy-
chologists, and other qualified professional per-
sonnel involved in providing assessment, diag-
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nosis, counseling, educational, therapeutic, and 
other necessary services (including related serv-
ices, as defined in section 602 of the Individuals 
with Disabilities Education Act) as part of com-
prehensive program to meet student needs. 
‘‘(b) GRANTS.— 
‘‘(1) APPLICATIONS.—An eligible State edu-
cational agency that desires to receive a grant under 
this section shall submit an application to the Sec-
retary at such time, in such manner, and accom-
panied by such information as the Secretary may re-
quire. 
‘‘(2) ACTIVITIES.—An eligible State educational 
agency that receives a grant under this section shall 
use the grant funds to award subgrants to eligible 
local educational agencies in accordance with sub-
section (c). 
‘‘(c) SUBGRANTS.— 
‘‘(1) APPLICATION.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—An eligible local edu-
cational agency that desires to receive a 
subgrant under this section shall submit an ap-
plication to the eligible State educational agen-
cy at such time, in such manner, and accom-
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training program to enable such teachers, 
school personnel, and specialized instructional 
support personnel— 
‘‘(i) to better understand mental 
health conditions and the early warning 
signs in children and adolescents; 
‘‘(ii) to best communicate with fami-
lies about these concerns; 
‘‘(iii) to identify classroom strategies 
for working effectively with children with 
mental health conditions; and 
‘‘(iv) to understand school specific in-
formation, including, as appropriate, how 
schools are— 
‘‘(I) assisting in linking students 
to supports and services; and 
‘‘(II) providing information on 
the school’s mental health services 
and supports, including school social 
work and psychological services, as 
well as the school’s referral process 
for additional school-linked services 
connecting 
to 
community 
mental 
health professionals. 
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‘‘(B) FAMILY
PERSPECTIVE.—A training 
program described in subparagraph (A) shall 
incorporate family and parent perspectives. 
‘‘(C) TRAINING PROGRAM FOR ALL AREAS 
OF THE STATE AND FOR PERSONNEL SERVING 
INDIAN CHILDREN.— 
‘‘(i) URBAN AND RURAL AREAS.—In 
awarding subgrants under this section, a 
State educational agency shall ensure 
training programs described under sub-
paragraph (A) are available for teachers, 
school personnel, and specialized instruc-
tional support personnel in urban and 
rural areas across the State. 
‘‘(ii) INDIAN
CHILDREN.—A State 
educational agency that receives a grant 
under this section shall award subgrants to 
eligible local educational agencies described 
in section 7112(b)(1) and Indian tribes de-
scribed in section 7112(c). 
‘‘(D) SCHOOL
BASED
MENTAL
HEALTH 
SERVICES PROVIDERS.—A training program de-
scribed in subparagraph (A) shall include a 
school-based mental health service provider and 
a community organization with expertise in the 
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lived experience of mental illness or suicide pre-
vention, whenever possible, to maximize training 
outcomes and facilitate coordinated referrals 
when more intensive community services are 
needed. 
‘‘(3) GUIDELINES.—In carrying out a training 
program described in paragraph (2), an eligible local 
educational agency may— 
‘‘(A) report to the Secretary on the agen-
cy’s commitment to students with mental illness 
and suicide prevention efforts through innova-
tive programs, resource development, and the 
development of a mental health curriculum and 
activities that focus on raising awareness within 
schools of early onset mental health conditions 
and linking students with effective mental 
health services and supports; 
‘‘(B) describe existing school-community 
partnerships that provide effective clinical serv-
ices to students with severe mental health 
needs; 
‘‘(C) describe how the agency will measure 
outcomes, as described in subsection (d), spe-
cifically for students with serious mental health 
needs; 
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‘‘(D) describe how the training program 
will be effective for teachers, school personnel, 
and specialized instructional support personnel 
in culturally and linguistically diverse school 
communities; and 
‘‘(E) describe any strong links to the com-
munity mental health system and community 
mental health providers through interagency 
collaboration, including documenting— 
‘‘(i) the extent of the interagency col-
laboration (including the engagement in 
joint activities); and 
‘‘(ii) the dates during which the col-
laboration has been in effect and any out-
comes that have been achieved as a result 
of this activity. 
‘‘(d) EVALUATIONS
AND
MEASURES
OF
OUT-
COMES.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall develop 
measures of outcomes for eligible local educational 
agencies that receive subgrants under this section, in 
order to evaluate the effectiveness of programs car-
ried out under the subgrant. 
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‘‘(2) OUTCOMES.—The measures of outcomes 
described in paragraph (1) shall include, at a min-
imum, provisions to evaluate— 
‘‘(A) the effectiveness of comprehensive 
school mental health training and suicide pre-
vention programs established under this section; 
‘‘(B) the effectiveness of formal partner-
ship linkages among child and family serving 
institutions, community support systems, and 
the educational system, if applicable; 
‘‘(C) the effectiveness of the training pro-
gram in culturally and linguistically diverse 
school communities; 
‘‘(D) the improvement in understanding 
mental health conditions with the purpose of 
providing a safe and supportive learning envi-
ronment among school staff, students, and par-
ents; 
‘‘(E) the improvement in— 
‘‘(i) case-finding of students in need 
of more intensive services; 
‘‘(ii) effective communication with 
families; and 
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‘‘(iii) referral of identified students 
with mental health related concerns for an 
evaluation for services and supports; 
‘‘(F) the reduction in the number of stu-
dents with mental health conditions and those 
identified as children with disabilities under the 
emotional disturbance and other health impair-
ment categories of the Individuals with Disabil-
ities Education Act who are suspended and an 
increase in the number of such students who 
graduate from high school; and 
‘‘(G) the increased successful matriculation 
to postsecondary school. 
‘‘(e) DATA COLLECTION COMPONENT.— 
‘‘(1) ANNUAL
DATA
SUBMISSIONS
AND
RE-
PORTS.— 
‘‘(A) DATA SUBMISSION.— 
‘‘(i) 
LOCAL
EDUCATIONAL
AGEN-
CIES.—An eligible local educational agency 
that receives a subgrant under this section 
shall annually submit to the eligible State 
educational agency a report that includes 
data to evaluate the success of the pro-
gram carried out by the eligible local edu-
cational agency. Such reports shall utilize 
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the measures of outcomes described in sub-
section (d). 
‘‘(ii) STATE
EDUCATIONAL
AGEN-
CIES.—An eligible State educational agen-
cy that receives a grant under this section 
shall annually submit to the Secretary a 
report that includes data from the reports 
submitted to the agency from eligible local 
educational agencies pursuant to clause (i). 
‘‘(B) REPORT
TO
CONGRESS.—Not later 
than 6 months after the date the Secretary re-
ceives reports under subparagraph (A)(ii), the 
Secretary shall compile the data in the reports 
and conduct a general analysis of the success of 
the programs carried out by the local edu-
cational agencies involved with subgrant funds 
received under this section. The Secretary shall 
prepare a report containing the compilation and 
general analysis, and submit the report to the 
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and 
Pensions of the Senate and the Committee on 
Education and the Workforce of the House of 
Representatives. 
‘‘(2) EVALUATION AND REPORT.— 
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‘‘(A) EVALUATION.—Not later than 12 
months after the end of the initial subgrant pe-
riod for eligible local educational agencies under 
this section, the Secretary shall conduct an in- 
depth evaluation of the success of the programs 
carried out by the local educational agencies 
with subgrant funds received under this section. 
‘‘(B) REPORT
TO
CONGRESS.—The Sec-
retary shall prepare a report containing the in- 
depth evaluation, and submit the report to the 
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and 
Pensions of the Senate and the Committee on 
Education and the Workforce of the House of 
Representatives. 
‘‘(f) TERMS AND COST OF THE GRANT.—There are 
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
such sums as may be necessary for fiscal year 2014 and 
each of the 4 succeeding fiscal years.’’. 
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents in 
section 2 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act 
of 1965 is amended by inserting after the item relating 
to section 4130 the following: 
‘‘Sec. 4131. Training teachers and school professionals in understanding the 
mental health needs of children.’’. 
Æ 
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