I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3511 
To amend the Public Health Service Act to direct the Assistant Secretary 
for Mental Health and Substance Use to establish a grant program 
for certain undergraduate or graduate students who agree to work as 
school psychologists, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 20, 2025 
Mr. GOTTHEIMER (for himself and Ms. FRIEDMAN) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To amend the Public Health Service Act to direct the Assist-
ant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use 
to establish a grant program for certain undergraduate 
or graduate students who agree to work as school psy-
chologists, 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 ‘‘Preparing for the Fu-
ture Act’’. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:22 May 23, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3511.IH
H3511
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
SEC. 2. GRANT PROGRAM FOR SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS. 
Part D of title V of the Public Health Service Act 
(42 U.S.C. 290dd et seq.) is amended by adding at the 
end the following: 
‘‘SEC. 554. GRANT PROGRAM FOR SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS. 
‘‘(a) PROGRAM ESTABLISHED.— 
‘‘(1) PROGRAM
AUTHORITY.—Subject to the 
availability of appropriations under subsection (c), 
the Assistant Secretary shall pay to each eligible in-
stitution such sums as may be necessary to pay to 
each eligible recipient who files an application and 
agreement in accordance with subsection (b) a grant 
for school psychology in the amount of $8,000 for 
each year during which such eligible recipient is 
within the period of eligibility under paragraph (4) 
at such eligible institution. 
‘‘(2) PAYMENT METHODOLOGY.— 
‘‘(A) PREPAYMENT.—Not less than 85 
percent of any funds provided to an eligible in-
stitution under paragraph (1) shall be advanced 
to such eligible institution prior to the start of 
each payment period (as such period is deter-
mined by the Assistant Secretary) and shall be 
based upon an amount requested by such insti-
tution as needed to pay eligible recipients who 
receive grants under this section, until such 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:22 May 23, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3511.IH
H3511
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
time as the Assistant Secretary determines and 
publishes in the Federal Register (with an op-
portunity for comment) an alternative payment 
system that provides payments to such institu-
tions in an accurate and timely manner, except 
that this sentence shall not be construed to 
limit the authority of the Assistant Secretary to 
place an institution on a reimbursement system 
of payment. 
‘‘(B) DIRECT PAYMENT.—Nothing in this 
subsection shall be interpreted to prohibit the 
Assistant Secretary from paying directly to an 
eligible recipient, in advance of the beginning of 
the academic term, an amount for which such 
eligible recipient is eligible, in cases in which an 
eligible institution fails to implement subpara-
graph (A). 
‘‘(C) DISTRIBUTION OF GRANTS TO ELIGI-
BLE RECIPIENTS.—Payments under this section 
shall be made, in accordance with regulations 
promulgated by the Assistant Secretary for 
such purpose, in such manner as will best ac-
complish the purposes of this section. Any pay-
ment allowed to be made by crediting the ac-
count of an eligible recipient shall be limited to 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:22 May 23, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3511.IH
H3511
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
tuition and fees and, in the case of housing 
owned by an eligible institution, room and 
board. 
‘‘(3) REDUCTIONS IN AMOUNT.— 
‘‘(A) PART-TIME STUDENTS.—In any case 
in which an eligible recipient attends an eligible 
institution on less than a full-time basis (includ-
ing an eligible recipient who attends an eligible 
institution on less than a half-time basis) dur-
ing any year, the amount of a grant under this 
section for which such eligible recipient is eligi-
ble shall be reduced in proportion to the degree 
to which such eligible recipient is not attending 
on a full-time basis, in accordance with a sched-
ule of reductions established by the Assistant 
Secretary for the purposes of this section, com-
puted in accordance with this section. Such 
schedule of reductions shall be established by 
regulation and published in the Federal Reg-
ister. 
‘‘(B) NO EXCEEDING COST.—The amount 
of a grant awarded under this section, in com-
bination with Federal assistance and other as-
sistance an eligible recipient who is a student 
may receive, shall not exceed the cost of attend-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:22 May 23, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3511.IH
H3511
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
ance (as defined in section 472 of the Higher 
Education Act of 1965) of the eligible institu-
tion at which such eligible recipient is in at-
tendance. 
‘‘(4) PERIOD OF ELIGIBILITY FOR GRANTS.— 
‘‘(A) UNDERGRADUATE AND POST-BACCA-
LAUREATE
STUDENTS.—The 
period 
during 
which an eligible recipient who is an under-
graduate or post-baccalaureate student may re-
ceive a grant under this section shall be the pe-
riod after such eligible recipient has completed 
half of the required credit hours for a first un-
dergraduate baccalaureate or post-baccalaureate 
course of study being pursued by such eligible 
recipient at an eligible institution at which such 
eligible recipient is in attendance, except that 
the total amount that an eligible recipient may 
receive under this section for undergraduate or 
post-baccalaureate 
study 
shall 
not 
exceed 
$16,000. 
‘‘(B) GRADUATE STUDENTS.—The period 
during which an eligible recipient who is a grad-
uate student may receive grants under this sec-
tion shall be the first and second year of a 
graduate or professional degree program in 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:22 May 23, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3511.IH
H3511
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
school psychology that is pursued by such eligi-
ble recipient at an eligible institution at which 
such eligible recipient is in attendance, except 
that the total amount that an eligible recipient 
may receive under this section for graduate 
study shall not exceed $16,000. 
‘‘(C) 
REMEDIAL
COURSE; 
STUDY 
ABROAD.—Nothing in this subsection shall be 
construed to exclude from eligibility courses of 
study which are noncredit or remedial in nature 
(including courses in English language acquisi-
tion) which are determined by the eligible insti-
tution at which an eligible recipient is in at-
tendance to be necessary to help such eligible 
recipient be prepared for the pursuit of a first 
undergraduate baccalaureate or post-bacca-
laureate degree or certificate or, in the case of 
courses in English language instruction, to be 
necessary to enable such eligible recipient to 
utilize already existing knowledge, training, or 
skills. Nothing in this subsection shall be con-
strued to exclude from eligibility programs of 
study abroad that are approved for credit by 
the home institution at which an eligible recipi-
ent is enrolled. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:22 May 23, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3511.IH
H3511
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
‘‘(b) APPLICATIONS; ELIGIBILITY.— 
‘‘(1) APPLICATIONS; DEMONSTRATION OF ELI-
GIBILITY.— 
‘‘(A) FILING
REQUIRED.—The Assistant 
Secretary shall periodically set dates by which 
an applicant shall file an application for a grant 
under this section. Each applicant desiring a 
grant under this section for any year shall file 
an application containing such information and 
assurances as the Assistant Secretary may de-
termine necessary to enable the Assistant Sec-
retary to carry out the functions and respon-
sibilities of this section. 
‘‘(B) DEMONSTRATION OF ELIGIBILITY.— 
Each application submitted under subparagraph 
(A) shall contain such information as is nec-
essary to demonstrate that— 
‘‘(i) if the applicant is an enrolled stu-
dent— 
‘‘(I) such applicant is an eligible 
student for purposes of section 484 of 
the Higher Education Act of 1965; 
and 
‘‘(II) such applicant— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:22 May 23, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3511.IH
H3511
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
‘‘(aa) has a grade point av-
erage that is determined, under 
standards prescribed by the As-
sistant Secretary, to be com-
parable to a 3.25 average on a 
zero to 4.0 scale, except that, if 
such applicant is eligible for a 
grant under this section in the 
first year of a program of under-
graduate education, the grade 
point average of such applicant 
shall be determined on the basis 
of 
the 
cumulative 
secondary 
school grade point average of 
such student; or 
‘‘(bb) displayed high aca-
demic aptitude by receiving a 
score above the 75th percentile 
on at least one of the batteries in 
an 
undergraduate, 
post-bacca-
laureate, or graduate school ad-
missions test; and 
‘‘(ii) such applicant has outlined and 
is carrying out, or plans to carry out, a 
step-by-step educational plan for how to 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:22 May 23, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00008
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3511.IH
H3511
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
satisfy any requirements needed to receive 
a school psychologist credential, if such 
credential is required, and begin serving as 
a school psychologist. 
‘‘(C) 
EDUCATIONAL
PLAN.—The 
edu-
cational plan described in subparagraph (B)(ii) 
shall include, for an applicant— 
‘‘(i) the courses such applicant has 
enrolled in, or plans to enroll in; 
‘‘(ii) the plan of such applicant to sat-
isfy 
any 
requirements 
other 
than 
coursework needed to receive a school psy-
chologist credential, if such credential is 
required, and begin serving as a school 
psychologist; and 
‘‘(iii) a justification for any under-
graduate, post-baccalaureate, or graduate 
or professional degree program related to 
school psychology that such applicant is 
enrolled in or plans to enroll in and for 
which such applicant is receiving or plans 
to seek a grant under this section, includ-
ing whether such program is needed to re-
ceive a school psychologist credential. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:22 May 23, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00009
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3511.IH
H3511
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
‘‘(2) AGREEMENTS TO SERVE.—Each applica-
tion under paragraph (1) shall contain or be accom-
panied by an agreement by the applicant that— 
‘‘(A) such applicant will— 
‘‘(i) serve as a full-time school psy-
chologist (referred to in this subsection as 
the ‘service obligation’) in a covered school 
for a total of not less than 4 academic 
years within 8 years after completing— 
‘‘(I) the course of study for 
which the applicant received a grant 
under this section; or 
‘‘(II) for an applicant who re-
ceived a grant under this section dur-
ing both a period described in sub-
section (a)(4)(A) and a period de-
scribed in subsection (a)(4)(B), the 
graduate or professional degree pro-
gram for which the applicant received 
a grant under this section; and 
‘‘(ii) submit a certification of employ-
ment by the chief administrative officer of 
the covered school in accordance with para-
graph (4)(D); and 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:22 May 23, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00010
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3511.IH
H3511
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
‘‘(iii) receive a school psychologist cre-
dential; 
‘‘(B) in the event that such applicant is de-
termined to have failed or refused to carry out 
such service obligation, the sum of the amounts 
of any grants received by such applicant under 
this section will be treated as a loan and col-
lected from such applicant in accordance with 
paragraph (3) and the regulations thereunder; 
and 
‘‘(C) contains, or is accompanied by, a 
plain-language disclosure form developed by the 
Assistant Secretary, in consultation with the 
Secretary of Education (with respect to loan re-
payment requirements), that clearly describes 
the nature of the grant award under this sec-
tion, the service obligation, and the loan repay-
ment requirements that are the consequence of 
the failure to complete the service obligation. 
‘‘(3) REPAYMENT FOR FAILURE TO COMPLETE 
SERVICE.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—In the event that any 
eligible recipient who receives a grant under 
this section fails or refuses to comply with the 
service obligation in the agreement under para-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:22 May 23, 2025
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00011
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3511.IH
H3511
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB