I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 6214 
To effectively staff the high-need public elementary schools and secondary 
schools of the United States with school-based mental health services 
providers. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
DECEMBER 9, 2021 
Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts (for herself, Mrs. HAYES, Mr. LIEU, Ms. 
SA´NCHEZ, and Ms. UNDERWOOD) introduced the following bill; which was 
referred to the Committee on Education and Labor 
A BILL 
To effectively staff the high-need public elementary schools 
and secondary schools of the United States with school- 
based mental health services providers. 
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 ‘‘Elementary and Sec-
ondary School Counseling Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) One in 5 children ages 13 through 18 has, 
or will have, a serious mental illness. 
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(2) 11 percent of youth have a mood disorder, 
10 percent of youth have a behavior or conduct dis-
order, and 8 percent of youth have an anxiety dis-
order. 
(3) 50 percent of all lifetime cases of mental ill-
ness begin by age 14. 37 percent of students with 
a mental health condition age 14 and older drop out 
of school, which is the highest school dropout rate 
of any disability group. 
(4) 70 percent of youth in State and local juve-
nile systems have a mental illness. 
(5) Youth with access to mental health services 
in school-based health centers are 10 times more 
likely to seek care for mental health or substance 
abuse than youth without access. 
(6) The leading counseling, guidance, and men-
tal health organizations, including the American 
School Counselor Association, the National Associa-
tion of School Psychologists, the National Associa-
tion of Social Workers, and the School Social Work 
Association of America, recommend that schools 
maintain— 
(A) a maximum student to school coun-
selor ratio of 250 to 1; 
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(B) a maximum student to school psychol-
ogist ratio of 500 to 1; and 
(C) a maximum student to school social 
worker ratio of 250 to 1. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) ESEA DEFINITIONS.—The terms ‘‘elemen-
tary school’’, ‘‘local educational agency’’, ‘‘secondary 
school’’, ‘‘State’’, and ‘‘State educational agency’’ 
have the meanings given the terms in section 8101 
of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801). 
(2) HIGH-NEED SCHOOL.—The term ‘‘high-need 
school’’ has the meaning given the term in section 
2211(b) of the Elementary and Secondary Edu-
cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6631(b)). 
(3) SCHOOL-BASED MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES 
PROVIDER.—The term ‘‘school-based mental health 
services provider’’ includes a State-licensed or State 
certified school counselor, school psychologist, school 
social worker, community-based mental health pro-
vider organization, or other State licensed or cer-
tified mental health professional qualified under 
State law to provide mental health services to chil-
dren and adolescents. 
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(4) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of Education. 
SEC. 4. GRANTS AND SUBGRANTS. 
(a) PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall award 
formula grants, from allotments made under sub-
section (b), to State educational agencies to enable 
the State educational agencies to award subgrants to 
local educational agencies in order to increase access 
to school-based mental health services providers at 
high-need schools served by the local educational 
agencies. 
(2) DURATION.—A grant awarded under this 
section shall be for a 5-year period and may be re-
newed for additional 5-year periods upon a showing 
of adequate progress on meeting the goals of the 
grant, as determined by the Secretary. 
(b) FORMULA GRANTS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.— 
(A) FORMULA.—From the total amount 
made available under section 5 for a fiscal year, 
the Secretary shall allot to each such State that 
submits a complete application an amount that 
bears the same relationship to such total 
amount as the amount received under part A of 
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title I of the Elementary and Secondary Edu-
cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6311 et seq.) by 
such State for such fiscal year bears to the 
amount received under such part for such fiscal 
year by all States. 
(B) SMALL
STATE
MINIMUM.—No State 
receiving an allotment under this paragraph 
shall receive less than one-half of 1 percent of 
the total amount allotted under this paragraph. 
(2) MATCHING
REQUIREMENTS.—In order to 
receive an allotment under this paragraph, a State 
shall agree to provide matching funds, in an amount 
equal to 20 percent of the amount of the allotment, 
toward the costs of the activities carried out under 
the grant. 
(c) APPLICATION.—A State educational agency desir-
ing a grant under this section shall submit an application 
at such time, in such manner, and containing such infor-
mation as the Secretary may require. Each application 
shall include, at a minimum— 
(1) a description of how the State educational 
agency will award subgrants to local educational 
agencies under subsection (d); 
(2) a description of how the State educational 
agency will disseminate, in a timely manner, infor-
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mation regarding the subgrants and the application 
process for such subgrants to local educational agen-
cies; and 
(3) the ratios, as of the date of application, of 
students to school-based mental health services pro-
viders in each public elementary school and sec-
ondary school in the State, in the aggregate and 
disaggregated to include— 
(A) the ratios of students to school coun-
selors, school psychologists, and school social 
workers; and 
(B) as applicable, the ratios of students to 
other school-based mental health services pro-
viders not described in subparagraph (A), in the 
aggregate and disaggregated by type of pro-
vider. 
(d) SUBGRANTS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—A State educational agency 
receiving a grant under this section shall use grant 
funds to award subgrants, on a competitive basis, to 
local educational agencies in the State, to enable the 
local educational agencies to— 
(A) employ school-based mental health 
services providers or contract with community 
mental health centers to work at high-need 
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