TEACH Act of 2022
Bill: H.R.9475 | Sponsor: Rep. Kirkpatrick, Ann (D-AZ)
Policy area: Education

Summary:
Teacher and Educator Access to Crucial Health and Wellness Act of 2022 or the TEACH Act of 2022
This bill directs the Department of Education to award grants to state educational agencies and, through them, subgrants to local educational agencies to implement or improve health and wellness programs for education professionals. It also requires the National Institutes of Health to study the impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of education professionals.

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.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives 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 disproportionately 
        negative impact on mental health of educators in the United 
        States, leading to an increase in stress and burnout among the 
        education workforce.
            (2) According to the National Education Association 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-
        related stress, compared to 40-percent of other working adults, 
        and 27-percent of teachers reported symptoms of depression, 
        compared to 10-percent of other adults.
            (3) The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated educator departure 
        and retirement, which has led to an 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 programs 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 educators' 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 National Institutes of Health, and in 
consultation of the Secretary of Education, shall conduct a study that 
analyzes the impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of education 
professionals. Such study shall specifically address--
            (1) the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental 
        health of education professionals;
            (2) the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the overall 
        staff retention of education professionals;
            (3) the barriers that remain with respect to access to 
        mental health services for education professionals; and
            (4) any policies or practices that may promote resiliency 
        among education professionals, specifically during, and in the 
        aftermath of, a high-stress event, such as the COVID-19 
        pandemic.
    (b) Report.--Not later than one year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall 
submit to the Congress a report--
            (1) on the results of the study conducted under subsection 
        (a); and
            (2) that includes the Secretary's recommendations for best 
        practices--
                    (A) to promote the mental health of education 
                professionals, especially during, and in the aftermath 
                of, a high-stress event, such as the COVID-19 pandemic; 
                and
                    (B) to prepare for future high-stress events such 
                as the COVID-19 pandemic.

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 agencies to carry out the activities 
described in subsection (d).
    (b) Application.--A State educational agency seeking a grant under 
this section shall submit to the Secretary an application in such form, 
at such time, and containing such information as the Secretary 
determines appropriate, 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).
    (d) Grant Uses.--A State educational agency receiving a grant under 
this section shall use such grant funds, in accordance with subsection 
(c), to--
            (1) develop and provide guidance to local educational 
        agencies receiving a subgrant under subsection (e) for the 
        development and implementation or improvement of the programs 
        described in subsection (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 programs; and
            (2) award subgrants to local educational agencies 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 existing, 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 form, at such time, and 
        containing such information as the State educational agency 
        determines appropriate, including--
                    (A) a description of any education professional 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 implemented or improved 
                pursuant to the subgrant;
                    (C) a description of the education professionals 
                who will implement or improve the programs with the 
                local educational agency in accordance with paragraph 
                (5)(B); and
                    (D) a description of community partners that can 
                support or partner with the local educational agency by 
                offering programming and services related to wellness 
                of education professionals, including in-person and 
                virtual options.
            (3) Subgrant amounts.--The State educational agency shall 
        determine subgrant amounts under this subsection with respect 
        to each local educational 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 agency 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 to award subgrants to local 
                educational agencies 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 subsection 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 
                        management, time management, nutrition, 
                        cooking, non-violent communication, team 
                        building, implicit bias, mental health, trauma, 
                        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 building for 
                        such equipment; and
                            (iii) repurposing a room in a school 
                        building for a quiet space for education 
                        professionals.
                    (B) Implementation.--
                            (i) In general.--The local educational 
                        agency shall, in conjunction with the committee 
                        described in clause (ii) and using the guidance 
                        provided under subsection (d)(1), develop and 
                        implement, or improve, as applicable, and 
                        oversee the programs described in subparagraph 
                        (A).
                            (ii) Committee.--The committee required 
                        under clause (i) shall be composed of not fewer 
                        than 3 education professionals from the local 
                        educational agency, including--
                                    (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:
            (1) Education professional.--The term ``education 
        professional'' means, with respect to an elementary or 
        secondary school, a teacher, principal, other school leader, 
        paraprofessional, school administrator, and other staff.
            (2) ESEA terms.--The terms ``elementary school'', ``local 
        educational agency'', ``other staff'', ``paraprofessional'', 
        ``school leader'', and ``secondary school'' have the meanings 
        given to such terms in section 8101 of the Elementary and 
        Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
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