I 
117TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 9475 
To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services, in consultation 
of the Secretary of Education, to conduct a study on the impact of 
COVID–19 on the mental health of education professionals, to direct 
the Secretary of Education to award grants to implement or improve 
health and wellness programs for education professionals, and for other 
purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
DECEMBER 8, 2022 
Mrs. KIRKPATRICK (for herself, Ms. ADAMS, Mr. EVANS, Ms. JACOBS of Cali-
fornia, Mr. KILDEE, Ms. KUSTER, Mr. LYNCH, Ms. NORTON, Mr. 
PETERS, Ms. PORTER, Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi, Ms. TITUS, Mr. 
TRONE, and Ms. WILSON of Florida) introduced the following bill; which 
was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor, and in addition 
to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subse-
quently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such 
provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services, 
in consultation of the Secretary of Education, to conduct 
a study on the impact of COVID–19 on the mental 
health of education professionals, to direct the Secretary 
of Education to award grants to implement or improve 
health and wellness programs for education professionals, 
and for other purposes. 
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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 and Educator 
Access to Crucial Health and Wellness Act of 2022’’ or 
the ‘‘TEACH Act of 2022’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) The COVID–19 pandemic has had a dis-
proportionately negative impact on mental health of 
educators in the United States, leading to an in-
crease in stress and burnout among the education 
workforce. 
(2) According to the National Education Asso-
ciation and the American Federation of Teachers, 
rates of stress were higher among teachers than 
most other working adults during the pandemic. 
More than 3 in 4 teachers reported frequent job-re-
lated stress, compared to 40-percent of other work-
ing adults, and 27-percent of teachers reported 
symptoms of depression, compared to 10-percent of 
other adults. 
(3) The COVID–19 pandemic exacerbated edu-
cator departure and retirement, which has led to an 
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ongoing teacher recruitment, retention, and shortage 
crisis in the United States. 
(4) The COVID–19 pandemic highlighted an 
increased need for employee health and wellness pro-
grams in schools across the country. 
(5) Employee wellness programs can help create 
a more supportive work environment for education 
professionals, thereby supporting educator retention. 
(6) More research is essential to understanding 
the impact the COVID–19 pandemic had on edu-
cators’ mental health, and there is an immediate 
need to increase educators’ access to employee 
wellness programs. 
SEC. 3. STUDY ON IMPACTS OF COVID–19 ON MENTAL 
HEALTH OF EDUCATORS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Health and 
Human Services, acting through the Director of the Na-
tional Institutes of Health, and in consultation of the Sec-
retary of Education, shall conduct a study that analyzes 
the impact of COVID–19 on the mental health of edu-
cation professionals. Such study shall specifically ad-
dress— 
(1) the impact of the COVID–19 pandemic on 
the mental health of education professionals; 
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SEC. 4. GRANTS FOR HEALTH AND WELLNESS PROGRAMS 
FOR EDUCATION PROFESSIONALS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Education (in 
this section referred to as the ‘‘Secretary’’) shall award, 
on a competitive basis, grants to State educational agen-
cies to carry out the activities described in subsection (d). 
(b) APPLICATION.—A State educational agency seek-
ing a grant under this section shall submit to the Sec-
retary an application in such form, at such time, and con-
taining such information as the Secretary determines ap-
propriate, including a description of— 
(1) staffing shortages of education professionals 
in the State; and 
(2) how the State educational agency will carry 
out the activities described in subsection (d)(1). 
(c) GRANT AMOUNTS.—Of the total amount of a 
grant awarded to a State educational agency under this 
section— 
(1) not more than 1-percent shall be used for 
administrative costs; 
(2) not more than 4-percent shall be used to 
carry out the activities described in subsection 
(d)(1); and 
(3) not less than 95-percent shall be used to 
award subgrants in accordance with subsection (e). 
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(d) GRANT USES.—A State educational agency re-
ceiving a grant under this section shall use such grant 
funds, in accordance with subsection (c), to— 
(1) develop and provide guidance to local edu-
cational agencies receiving a subgrant under sub-
section (e) for the development and implementation 
or improvement of the programs described in sub-
section (e)(5)(A), including with respect to— 
(A) assessing the workplace; 
(B) creating such programs; 
(C) engaging education professionals in 
such programs; and 
(D) evaluating the success of such pro-
grams; and 
(2) award subgrants to local educational agen-
cies in accordance with subsection (e). 
(e) SUBGRANTS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—A State educational agency 
receiving a grant under this section shall award, on 
a competitive basis, subgrants to local educational 
agencies to develop and implement, or improve exist-
ing, education professional wellness programs. 
(2) APPLICATION.—A local educational agency 
seeking a grant under this section shall submit to 
the State educational agency an application in such 
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form, at such time, and containing such information 
as the State educational agency determines appro-
priate, including— 
(A) a description of any education profes-
sional or employee wellness programs carried 
out by the local educational agency at the time 
of application for the subgrant, as applicable, 
including whether and how such programs can 
be expanded or altered to support the retention 
of education professionals; 
(B) the number of education professionals 
who will be served by the programs imple-
mented or improved pursuant to the subgrant; 
(C) a description of the education profes-
sionals who will implement or improve the pro-
grams with the local educational agency in ac-
cordance with paragraph (5)(B); and 
(D) a description of community partners 
that can support or partner with the local edu-
cational agency by offering programming and 
services related to wellness of education profes-
sionals, including in-person and virtual options. 
(3) SUBGRANT
AMOUNTS.—The State edu-
cational agency shall determine subgrant amounts 
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under this subsection with respect to each local edu-
cational agency based on the following: 
(A) The number of education professionals 
who would be served by programs implemented 
or improved pursuant to the subgrant. 
(B) Whether the local educational agency 
carries out education professional or employee 
wellness programs at the time of application for 
the subgrant. 
(4) 
RURAL, 
REMOTE, 
AND
HIGH-NEED 
SCHOOLS.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—25-percent of the grant 
funds described in subsection (c)(3) shall be 
used by the State educational agency to award 
subgrants to local educational agencies that 
serve 1 or more rural, remote, or high-need 
schools, as defined by the State educational 
agency. 
(B) EXCEPTION.—If, at the conclusion of 
the subgrant application period set by the State 
educational agency, the State educational agen-
cy did not receive an application from a local 
educational agency described in subparagraph 
(A), the State educational agency shall use the 
grant funds reserved under such subparagraph 
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to award subgrants to local educational agen-
cies that do not serve 1 or more rural, remote, 
or high-need schools. 
(5) SUBGRANT USES.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—A local educational 
agency receiving a subgrant under this sub-
section shall use such subgrant funds to develop 
and implement, or improve existing, wellness 
programs that meet the health and wellness 
needs of education professionals, such as by— 
(i) contracting with coaches, trainers, 
or instructors who specialize in stress man-
agement, time management, nutrition, 
cooking, non-violent communication, team 
building, implicit bias, mental health, trau-
ma, social support, alcohol or substance 
use, fitness, financial education, or other 
areas of expertise deemed appropriate by 
the Secretary; 
(ii) purchasing exercise equipment 
and repurposing a room in a school build-
ing for such equipment; and 
(iii) repurposing a room in a school 
building for a quiet space for education 
professionals. 
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(B) IMPLEMENTATION.— 
(i) IN
GENERAL.—The local edu-
cational agency shall, in conjunction with 
the committee described in clause (ii) and 
using the guidance provided under sub-
section (d)(1), develop and implement, or 
improve, as applicable, and oversee the 
programs described in subparagraph (A). 
(ii) COMMITTEE.—The committee re-
quired under clause (i) shall be composed 
of not fewer than 3 education professionals 
from the local educational agency, includ-
ing— 
(I) 1 education professional who 
is a teacher; 
(II) 1 education professional who 
is a school administrator; and 
(III) 1 education professional 
who is other staff. 
(f) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
$200,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2024 through 
2028. 
SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
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