Youth Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Act of 2021
Bill: H.R.1803 | Sponsor: Rep. Cárdenas, Tony (D-CA)
Policy area: Health

Summary:
Youth Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Act of 2021
This bill authorizes the award of matching grants to enhance services in secondary schools for students with mental and behavioral health issues that can lead to failure in school, such as depression and substance abuse.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration may award these grants on a competitive basis to state or local educational agencies that serve at least one secondary school.

To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a 
   grant program to promote comprehensive mental health and suicide 
      prevention efforts in high schools, 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 ``Youth Mental Health and Suicide 
Prevention Act of 2021''.

SEC. 2. COORDINATED PROMOTION OF HIGH SCHOOL COMPREHENSIVE MENTAL 
              HEALTH AND SUICIDE PREVENTION PLANS.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary, acting through the Director of the 
Center for Mental Health Services of the Substance Abuse and Mental 
Health Services Administration, may carry out a program to award 
grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible entities to enhance 
services for high school students with mental health and behavioral 
health issues that can lead to school failure, including depression, 
substance abuse, and suicide attempts.
    (b) Application.--To be eligible for a grant under this section, an 
eligible entity shall submit to the Secretary an application in such 
form, at such time, and containing such information as the Secretary 
determines appropriate, including, at a minimum--
            (1) a description of identified mental health and 
        behavioral health needs of high school students served by such 
        eligible entity;
            (2) a description of existing Federal, State, local, 
        private, and institutional resources available to address the 
        needs described in paragraph (1);
            (3) a description of the outreach strategies of such 
        eligible entity to promote access to services, including a 
        proposed plan for mental health equity and assisting students 
        most in need of mental health services;
            (4) a description of how such eligible entity will involve, 
        as appropriate, students and peer representatives in the 
        planning, implementation, and evaluation processes;
            (5) a description of how such eligible entity will support 
        other students and the school community if a student dies by 
        suicide;
            (6) a plan to--
                    (A) implement the activities described in 
                subsection (c); and
                    (B) evaluate the outcomes of such activities; and
            (7) an assurance that such eligible entity will submit to 
        the Secretary, for each fiscal year in which grant funds are 
        used, a report with respect to--
                    (A) the activities carried out under subsection 
                (c); and
                    (B) the outcomes of such activities.
    (c) Grant Uses.--A grant awarded under this section may only be 
used, with respect to high school students served by an eligible 
entity, for--
            (1) evaluating existing program activities and prevention 
        strategies;
            (2) educational seminars;
            (3) educational awareness campaign materials for students, 
        families of students, and school staff to increase the 
        awareness of potential mental and behavioral health issues of 
        students;
            (4) peer-to-peer program support;
            (5) programs that assist schools in adopting a public 
        health approach to mental health;
            (6) social media applications used for mental and 
        behavioral health purposes, such as suicide risk and mental 
        health screenings;
            (7) providing mental health services for students through 
        telehealth;
            (8) training programs for students and high school 
        teachers, school leaders, and other school personnel to learn 
        to respond effectively to students with mental health and 
        behavioral health issues that can lead to school failure, 
        including depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and suicide 
        attempts; and
            (9) the creation of an infrastructure to facilitate 
        communication between high schools served by a local 
        educational agency or State educational agency that does not 
        have mental health services, including health care providers 
        who can treat mental health and behavioral health issues.
    (d) Matching Requirement.--
            (1) In general.--An eligible entity receiving a grant under 
        this section shall provide non-Federal matching funds 
        (including funds from donations from public or private 
        entities) equal to the amount of the grant.
            (2) Determination of amount contributed.--
                    (A) In-kind support.--Non-Federal matching funds 
                described in paragraph (1) may include cash or in-kind 
                support.
                    (B) Federal support.--Amounts provided by the 
                Federal Government, or services assisted or subsidized 
                to any significant extent by the Federal Government may 
                not be included when determining the amount of non-
                Federal matching funds provided.
            (3) Waiver.--The Secretary may waive the matching funds 
        requirement of paragraph (1) with respect to a grant made to an 
        eligible entity under this section if the Secretary determines 
        that such eligible entity has demonstrated extraordinary need 
        for such a waiver.
    (e) Study and Report.--
            (1) Study.--For each fiscal year during which grants are 
        awarded under this section, the Secretary shall conduct a study 
        on the results of the grant program.
            (2) Report.--For each study conducted under paragraph (1), 
        the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on the results 
        of such study, including--
                    (A) an evaluation of the outcomes of the grant 
                program, including a summary of activities carried out 
                by eligible entities and the results of such 
                activities; and
                    (B) recommendations with respect to improving 
                access to mental health and behavioral heath services 
                at high schools, including efforts to reduce the 
                occurrence of suicide and substance abuse.
    (f) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means a 
        local educational agency or State educational agency that 
        serves at least one secondary school.
            (2) ESEA terms.--The terms ``high school'', ``local 
        educational agency'', ``secondary school'', and ``State 
        educational agency'' have the meanings given such terms in 
        section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 
        1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
            (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Health and Human Services, in consultation with the 
        Secretary of Education and the heads of other appropriate 
        agencies.
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