I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3771 
To establish a multiagency Middle School Mental Health Task Force at 
the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human 
Services. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 31, 2023 
Mr. KEAN of New Jersey 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 de-
termined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions 
as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To establish a multiagency Middle School Mental Health 
Task Force at the Department of Education and the 
Department of Health and Human Services. 
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 ‘‘Health Minds for a 
Better Future Act’’. 
SEC. 2. MIDDLE SCHOOL MENTAL HEALTH TASK FORCE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—There is established a multi-
agency Middle School Mental Health Task Force (referred 
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to in this section as the ‘‘Task Force’’) at the Department 
of Education and the Department of Health and Human 
Services to study and survey the resources that are avail-
able to parents and educators to identify and help middle- 
school aged students that may be experiencing mental 
health issues. 
(b) MEMBERS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Task Force established 
under subsection (a) shall consist of 12 members in-
cluding— 
(A) the Secretary of Education; 
(B) the Secretary of Health and Human 
Services; 
(C) a representative of an association of 
school administration relating to middle school 
or high schools appointed by the Secretary of 
Education; 
(D) a representative of an association 
working for childhood mental health appointed 
by the Secretary of Education; 
(E) one school counselor or educator from 
each United States region, including— 
(i) the Northeastern region (consisting 
of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New 
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York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Con-
necticut, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey); 
(ii) the Midwestern region (consisting 
of Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Mis-
souri, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, 
North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and 
Iowa); 
(iii) the Western region (consisting of 
Montana, Washington, Oregon, California, 
Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Ne-
vada, Wyoming, Idaho, Alaska, and Ha-
waii); and 
(iv) the Southern region (consisting of 
Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, 
Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, 
South Carolina, North Carolina, Ten-
nessee, Kentucky, West Virginia, Mary-
land, Delaware, and Virginia); and 
(F) one parent of a middle school student 
(from a public or private secondary school) 
from each region listed in subparagraphs (A) 
through (D) of paragraph (6). 
(2) APPLICATION PROCESS.—Each member of 
the Task Force described in subparagraphs (E) and 
(F) of paragraph (1) shall be selected through an 
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(g) EXPERTS.—The Task Force may procure tem-
porary and intermittent services under section 3109(b) of 
title 5, United States Code, but at rates for individuals 
not to exceed the annual rate of basic pay for GS–10 of 
the General Schedule. 
(h) CONTRACT AUTHORITY.—To the extent or in the 
amounts provided in advance in appropriation Acts, the 
Task Force may contract with and compensate govern-
ment and private agencies or persons for certain services 
relating to the work of the Task Force. 
(i) STUDY AND ANNUAL REPORT.—The Task Force 
shall— 
(1) study that resources (including online plat-
forms, professional mental health services providers, 
community mental health providers, and any other 
tools or resources to address mental health) available 
to secondary school educators (including educators 
in the middle grades) and parents for helping a stu-
dent who is experiencing mental health issues; and 
(2) submit to the Committee on Education and 
the Workforce of the House of Representatives and 
the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and 
Pensions of the Senate, an annual report on the re-
sults of the study conducted under paragraph (1). 
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(j) DEFINITIONS.—In this Act, the terms ‘‘middle 
grades’’ and ‘‘secondary school’’ have the meanings given 
the terms in section 8101 of the Elementary and Sec-
ondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801). 
Æ 
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