I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4253 
To support States and high-need local educational agencies in increasing 
the number of mental health services providers in schools. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 30, 2025 
Ms. DELAURO (for herself, Mrs. HAYES, Mr. FITZPATRICK, Mr. AMO, Ms. 
BALINT, Mr. CARSON, Ms. CHU, Ms. CRAIG, Mr. DOGGETT, Mr. EVANS 
of Pennsylvania, Mr. ESPAILLAT, Mr. HARDER of California, Ms. 
HOULAHAN, 
Mr. 
HOYER, 
Mr. 
JOHNSON
of 
Georgia, 
Mr. 
KRISHNAMOORTHI, Mr. LANDSMAN, Mr. LYNCH, Ms. SA´NCHEZ, Ms. PIN-
GREE, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Ms. SEWELL, Ms. STRICKLAND, Mr. TAKANO, 
Mr. THANEDAR, Ms. TOKUDA, Mr. TRAN, and Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN) 
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
Education and Workforce 
A BILL 
To support States and high-need local educational agencies 
in increasing the number of mental health services pro-
viders in schools. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Expanding Access to Mental Health Services in Schools 
Act of 2025’’. 
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(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents of 
this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 
Sec. 2. Purposes. 
Sec. 3. Definitions. 
Sec. 4. School-based mental health services grant program. 
Sec. 5. Rule. 
SEC. 2. PURPOSES. 
The purpose of this Act is to increase the number 
of school-based mental health services providers. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) ELIGIBLE
AGENCY.—The term ‘‘eligible 
agency’’ means— 
(A) a high-need local educational agency; 
(B) an educational service agency acting 
on behalf of 1 or more high-need local edu-
cational agencies; or 
(C) a State educational agency. 
(2) ESEA DEFINITIONS.—The terms ‘‘child 
with a disability’’, ‘‘educational service agency’’, ‘‘el-
ementary school’’, ‘‘English learner’’, ‘‘evidence- 
based’’, ‘‘institution of higher education’’, ‘‘local 
educational agency’’, ‘‘other staff’’, ‘‘outlying area’’, 
‘‘paraprofessional’’, 
‘‘professional 
development’’, 
‘‘school leader’’, ‘‘secondary school’’, ‘‘specialized in-
structional 
support 
personnel’’, 
‘‘Secretary’’, 
‘‘State’’, and ‘‘State educational agency’’ have the 
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meanings given the terms in section 8101 of the Ele-
mentary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 7801). 
(3) HIGH-NEED
LOCAL
EDUCATIONAL
AGEN-
CY.—The term ‘‘high-need local educational agency’’ 
means a local education agency that, as the date of 
application for this Act— 
(A) is among the highest 15 percent of all 
local educational agencies in the State, as deter-
mined by the Secretary, based on either— 
(i) the number of children in each 
such agency counted under section 1124(c) 
of the Elementary and Secondary Edu-
cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6333(c)); or 
(ii) the percentage of children in each 
such agency counted under section 1124(c) 
of the Elementary and Secondary Edu-
cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6333(c)); 
and 
(B) does not meet at least two of the fol-
lowing: 
(i) A ratio of 1 full-time equivalent 
school counselor for every 250 students. 
(ii) A ratio of 1 full-time equivalent 
school psychologist for every 500 students. 
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(iii) A ratio of 1 full-time equivalent 
school social worker for every 250 stu-
dents. 
(4) ISDA DEFINITIONS.—The term ‘‘Indian 
Tribe’’ means any indian tribe identified as such by 
the Secretary of the Interior under section 104 of 
the Federally Recognized Indian Tribe List Act of 
1994 (25 U.S.C. 479a–1). 
(5) SCHOOL-BASED MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES 
PROVIDER.—The term ‘‘school-based mental health 
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). 
SEC. 4. SCHOOL-BASED MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES GRANT 
PROGRAM. 
(a) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this section is to in-
crease the number of school-based mental health profes-
sionals by supporting high-need local educational agencies 
in recruiting, hiring, retaining, and diversifying school- 
based mental health services providers to expand access 
to school-based mental health services for students en-
rolled in elementary schools and secondary schools served 
by such agencies. 
(b) AUTHORIZATION OF GRANTS.— 
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(1) IN GENERAL.—From amounts made avail-
able under subsection (g) and after making the res-
ervations described in paragraph (2), the Secretary 
shall award grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible 
agencies, in accordance with this section. 
(2) RESERVATIONS.—From the total amount 
made available under subsection (g) for a fiscal year, 
the Secretary shall— 
(A) reserve not more than 2 percent of 
such amount for program administration, tech-
nical assistance, and data collection; 
(B) reserve 1 percent for the Secretary of 
the Interior for schools operated or funded by 
the Bureau of Indian Education, in accordance 
with the purpose of this section; and 
(C) reserve 1 percent for allotments for 
payments to the outlying areas, to be distrib-
uted among those outlying areas on the basis of 
their relative need, as determined by the Sec-
retary, in accordance with the purpose of this 
section. 
(3) DURATION AND RENEWALS.— 
(A) DURATION.—A grant awarded under 
this section shall be for a period of not more 
than 5 years. 
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(B) RENEWAL.—The Secretary may renew 
a grant awarded under this section for a period 
of not more than 2 years. 
(4) DIVERSITY OF PROJECTS.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—In awarding grants 
under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall ensure 
that, to the extent practicable, grants are dis-
tributed among eligible agencies that will serve 
geographically diverse areas, including urban, 
suburban, and rural areas. 
(B) LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCIES.—In 
awarding grants under paragraph (1), the Sec-
retary shall ensure that not less than 50 per-
cent of the amounts made available under sub-
section (g) that remain after making reserva-
tions under paragraph (2) are awarded to high- 
quality applications submitted by high-need 
local educational agencies identified in clauses 
(i) and (ii) of section 3(3)(A). 
(5) SUFFICIENT SIZE AND SCOPE.—Each grant 
awarded under paragraph (1) shall be of sufficient 
size and scope to allow the eligible agency receiving 
the grant to carry out the purpose of this section. 
(c) APPLICATION.—An eligible agency applying for a 
grant under subsection (b)(1) shall submit an application 
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to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and accom-
panied by such information as the Secretary may require, 
which may include— 
(1) a description of the prevalent mental health 
or substance use and misuse concerns facing stu-
dents enrolled in schools served by participating 
high-need local educational agencies; 
(2) a description of current shortage of school- 
based mental health services providers, including 
lack of diversity, if applicable, in high-need local 
educational agencies that will be served under the 
grant; 
(3) a description of the applicant’s plan to sup-
port recruiting, hiring, retaining, or diversifying 
school-based mental health services providers in 
high-need local educational agencies to be served 
under the grant; and 
(4) an assurance that any school-based mental 
health services provider, including any provider of-
fering telehealth services, provides services in a man-
ner consistent with section 444 of the General Edu-
cation Provisions Act (20 U.S.C. 1232g; commonly 
known as the ‘‘Family Educational Rights and Pri-
vacy Act of 1974’’) and the Individuals with Disabil-
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ities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1400 et seq.), as well 
as all applicable Federal, State, and local laws. 
(d) USE OF FUNDS.—An eligible agency that receives 
a grant under subsection (b)(1) shall use such funds to 
carry out one or more of the following: 
(1) Hiring school-based mental health services 
providers to— 
(A) provide school-based mental health 
services to students enrolled in schools served 
by high-need local educational agencies; and 
(B) implement evidence-based practices to 
improve school climate to support positive stu-
dent mental health. 
(2) Implementing strategies to recruit school- 
based mental health services providers in high-need 
local educational agencies to help mitigate shortages 
of such providers, such as— 
(A) salary stipends; 
(B) relocation benefits; 
(C) student loan repayment; or 
(D) other financial incentives. 
(3) Implementing strategies to retain school- 
based mental health services providers in high-need 
local educational agencies, which may include— 
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(A) providing incentives described in para-
graph (2); or 
(B) providing ongoing professional develop-
ment, induction, mentorship, or peer support 
for school-based mental health services pro-
viders. 
(e) RULES.— 
(1) MATCHING REQUIREMENT.—Eligible agen-
cies who receive a grant under this Act must con-
tribute non-Federal matching funds to the amount 
of not less than 25 percent of the project budget. 
(2) SUPPLEMENT, 
NOT
SUPPLANT.—Funds 
made available under this Act shall be used to sup-
plement, and not supplant, non-Federal funds that 
would otherwise be used for activities described 
under this Act. 
(3) 
DISAGGREGATION
OF
DATA.— 
Disaggregation of data required under this section 
shall not be required when the number is insufficient 
to yield statistically reliable information or the re-
sults would reveal personally identifiable information 
about an individual. 
(f) 
REPORTING
REQUIREMENTS.—Each 
eligible 
agency that receives a grant under subsection (b)(1) shall 
submit a report to the Secretary on an annual basis and 
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publish such report in a clear and easily accessible format 
on the website of the eligible agency. Such report shall 
contain any information required by the Secretary and, 
at a minimum, the following: 
(1) The number of school-based mental health 
services providers employed by high-need local edu-
cational agencies served under the grant and any in-
creases from the prior year, disaggregated by— 
(A) the number of each type of such pro-
viders who was recruited, hired, or retained, 
with support under this grant; and 
(B) the demographics of such providers. 
(2) The ratio of students to school-based men-
tal health services providers in high-need local edu-
cational agencies served under the grant and the ex-
tent to which such ratio has decreased since the 
start of the grant period. 
(3) The reduction in the annual attrition rate 
of school-based mental health services providers em-
ployed by high-need local educational agencies served 
under the grant, and the extent to which such attri-
tion rate has decreased since the start of the grant 
period. 
(g) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
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such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 
2026 through 2030. 
SEC. 5. RULE. 
The requirements of section 4001 of the Elementary 
and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7101) 
shall apply to a State educational agency, local educational 
agency, or other entity receiving a grant or subgrant 
under this Act in the same manner as those requirements 
apply to an entity receiving an award under title IV of 
such Act. 
Æ 
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