(1) ASSISTANT SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Assist-
ant Secretary’’ means the Assistant Secretary for 
Mental Health and Substance Use. 
(2) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘‘eligible enti-
ty’’ means— 
(A) a local educational agency; 
(B) an Indian Tribe or a Tribal organiza-
tion (as such terms are defined in section 4 of 
the Indian Self-Determination and Education 
Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304)) or a Tribal 
educational agency; and 
(C) the Bureau of Indian Education. 
(3) ESEA 
TERMS.—The terms ‘‘evidence- 
based’’, ‘‘local educational agency’’, and ‘‘secondary 
school’’ have the meanings given those terms in sec-
tion 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Edu-
cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801). 
(4) PEER-TO-PEER MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT 
PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘peer-to-peer mental health 
support program’’ means an evidence-based inter-
vention that trains students to become peer support 
specialists and provide mental health support to 
other students. 
(5) SCHOOL-BASED MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES 
PROVIDER.—The term ‘‘school-based mental health 
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services provider’’ has the meaning given the term in 
section 4102 of the Elementary and Secondary Edu-
cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7112). 
(b) GRANT PROGRAM.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Beginning not later than 1 
year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
Assistant Secretary, in consultation with the Sec-
retary of Education, as part of the Project AWARE 
(Advancing Wellness and Resiliency in Education) 
program of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health 
Services Administration, or a similar program, shall 
award grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible enti-
ties to carry out evidence-based peer-to-peer mental 
health support programs for students enrolled in 
secondary schools. 
(2) SUFFICIENT
SIZE
AND
SCOPE.—Grants 
awarded under this section shall be of sufficient size 
and scope to allow recipients to carry out the activi-
ties described in this section. 
(3) DURATION.—A grant awarded under this 
section shall be for a period of not more than 5 
years. 
(c) APPLICATIONS.—To be eligible to receive a grant 
under this section, an eligible entity shall submit an appli-
cation to the Assistant Secretary at such time, in such 
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manner, and containing such information as the Assistant 
Secretary may reasonably require. 
(d) USE OF AMOUNTS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—An eligible entity shall use 
grant amounts provided under this section only to— 
(A) implement new or operate existing evi-
dence-based peer-to-peer mental health support 
programs that meet the requirements of para-
graph (2) in 1 or more secondary schools served 
by the eligible entity; or 
(B) provide training to students, adult su-
pervisors, and school-based mental health serv-
ices providers in implementing the evidence- 
based peer-to-peer mental health support pro-
grams that meet the requirements of paragraph 
(2). 
(2) PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS.—Each peer-to- 
peer mental health support program funded by a 
grant under this section shall include, at a min-
imum, the following components: 
(A) TRAINING.—Peer support specialists 
and participating school staff overseeing the 
peer-to-peer mental health support program 
shall receive training in— 
(i) empathic listening; 
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(ii) 
enhancing 
protective 
mental 
health factors; 
(iii) recognizing and appropriately re-
sponding to risk factors and warning signs 
of mental health challenges, including sui-
cidal ideation and depression; 
(iv) connecting students with profes-
sional mental health services and recovery 
supports, as necessary; 
(v) recognizing and appropriately re-
sponding to risk factors and warning signs 
associated with mental health and sub-
stance use challenges, including co-occur-
ring challenges; and 
(vi) other areas included in the Na-
tional Model Standards for Peer Support 
Certification of the Substance Abuse and 
Mental Health Services Administration. 
(B) PROGRAM OVERSIGHT.—Each peer-to- 
peer mental health support program shall— 
(i) be overseen by a trained and cer-
tified youth peer support supervisor; and 
(ii) receive guidance from a school- 
based mental health services provider. 
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(C) FERPA.—Any education record of a 
student collected or maintained under this sub-
section shall have the protections required for 
education records under section 444 of the Gen-
eral Education Provisions Act (20 U.S.C. 
1232g). 
(e) RELATIONSHIP
TO
OTHER
FEDERAL
PRO-
GRAMS.—An eligible entity that receives a grant under 
this section may combine such grant funds with other 
Federal funds to support the activities carried out under 
this section. 
(f) PRIORITY; AMOUNTS.— 
(1) PRIORITY.—In awarding grants under this 
section, the Assistant Secretary shall give priority to 
applications submitted by eligible entities that— 
(A) propose to use grant amounts to estab-
lish new peer-to-peer mental health support 
programs in a majority of secondary schools 
served by such eligible entity; 
(B) propose to use grant amounts to estab-
lish a new peer-to-peer mental health support 
program in 1 or more secondary schools without 
such programs; 
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(C) propose to use grant amounts for peer- 
to-peer mental health support programs that 
have a suicide prevention component; or 
(D) are located in areas that have high 
rates of suicide or have experienced recent trau-
matic events. 
(2) GRANT AMOUNTS.—A grant awarded to an 
eligible entity under this section may not exceed 
$250,000. 
(g) EVALUATION; REPORT.— 
(1) EVALUATION.—The Assistant Secretary 
shall carry out an evaluation to measure the efficacy 
of the program under this section. The evaluation 
shall measure— 
(A) student participation in the peer-to- 
peer mental health support program and in-
clude a demographic analysis; 
(B) the efficacy of the training provided to 
peer support specialists and school staff in in-
creasing their knowledge of protective factors, 
risk factors, and warning signs of mental health 
challenges; and 
(C) the percentage of students partici-
pating in the peer-to-peer mental health support 
program who report improved mental health 
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outcomes or are connected to professional men-
tal health services. 
(2) REPORT.—The Assistant Secretary shall 
prepare and submit a report to the Committee on 
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Sen-
ate and the Committee on Energy and Commerce 
and the Committee on Education and the Workforce 
of the House of Representatives containing the re-
sults of the evaluation conducted under paragraph 
(1). 
(h) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—The Assistant Sec-
retary, in coordination with the Secretary of Education, 
shall provide technical assistance to eligible entities apply-
ing for and receiving grants under this section, which shall 
include the development and dissemination of best prac-
tices for evidence-based peer-to-peer mental health sup-
port programs. 
(i) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Section 4001 of the 
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 7101) (not including the exception under sub-
section (a)(2)(B)(i) of such section) shall apply to an enti-
ty receiving a grant under this section in the same manner 
as such section applies to an entity receiving funding 
under title IV of such Act. 
(j) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 
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(1) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $20,000,000 
for each of fiscal years 2025 through 2029. 
(2) RESERVATIONS.—From the total amount 
appropriated under paragraph (1) for a fiscal year, 
the Assistant Secretary shall reserve— 
(A) not more than 2 percent for awards to 
eligible 
entities 
described 
in 
subsection 
(a)(2)(C); 
(B) not less than 2 percent for technical 
assistance and administration; and 
(C) not more than 2 percent for evalua-
tion, in accordance with subsection (g). 
Æ 
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