Title: Supporting Trauma-Informed Education Practices Act of 2019
Policy area: Health

Summary:
Supporting Trauma-Informed Education Practices Act of 2019
This bill establishes a grant program to link local school systems with local trauma-informed support and mental health systems.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4835 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 4835

To provide grants to improve trauma support services and mental health 
  care for children and youth in educational settings, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 23, 2019

 Mrs. Hayes (for herself and Ms. Wild) introduced the following bill; 
       which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To provide grants to improve trauma support services and mental health 
  care for children and youth in educational settings, 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 ``Supporting Trauma-Informed Education 
Practices Act of 2019''.

SEC. 2. GRANTS TO IMPROVE TRAUMA SUPPORT SERVICES AND MENTAL HEALTH 
              CARE FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH IN EDUCATIONAL SETTINGS.

    (a) Grants, Contracts, and Cooperative Agreements Authorized.--The 
Secretary, in coordination with the Assistant Secretary for Mental 
Health and Substance Use, is authorized to award grants to, or enter 
into contracts or cooperative agreements with, State educational 
agencies, local educational agencies, Indian Tribes (as defined in 
section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance 
Act) or their tribal educational agencies, a school operated by the 
Bureau of Indian Education, a Regional Corporation, or a Native 
Hawaiian educational organization, for the purpose of increasing 
student access to evidence-based trauma support services and mental 
health care by developing innovative initiatives, activities, or 
programs to link local school systems with local trauma-informed 
support and mental health systems, including those under the Indian 
Health Service.
    (b) Duration.--With respect to a grant, contract, or cooperative 
agreement awarded or entered into under this section, the period during 
which payments under such grant, contract, or agreement are made to the 
recipient may not exceed 4 years.
    (c) Use of Funds.--An entity that receives a grant, contract, or 
cooperative agreement under this section shall use amounts made 
available through such grant, contract, or cooperative agreement for 
evidence-based activities, which shall include any of the following:
            (1) Collaborative efforts between school-based service 
        systems and trauma-informed support and mental health service 
        systems to provide, develop, or improve prevention, screening, 
        referral, and treatment and support services to students, such 
        as providing trauma screenings to identify students in need of 
        specialized support.
            (2) To implement schoolwide positive behavioral 
        interventions and supports, or other trauma-informed models of 
        support.
            (3) To provide professional development to teachers, 
        teacher assistants, school leaders, specialized instructional 
        support personnel, and mental health professionals that--
                    (A) fosters safe and stable learning environments 
                that prevent and mitigate the effects of trauma, 
                including through social and emotional learning;
                    (B) improves school capacity to identify, refer, 
                and provide services to students in need of trauma 
                support or behavioral health services; or
                    (C) reflects the best practices for trauma-informed 
                identification, referral, and support developed by the 
                Interagency Task Force on Trauma-Informed Care.
            (4) Services at a full-service community school that 
        focuses on trauma-informed supports, which may include a full-
        time site coordinator, or other activities consistent with 
        section 4625 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 
        1965 (20 U.S.C. 7275).
            (5) Engaging families and communities in efforts to 
        increase awareness of child and youth trauma, which may include 
        sharing best practices with law enforcement regarding trauma-
        informed care and working with mental health professionals to 
        provide interventions, as well as longer term coordinated care 
        within the community for children and youth who have 
        experienced trauma and their families.
            (6) To provide technical assistance to school systems and 
        mental health agencies.
            (7) To evaluate the effectiveness of the program carried 
        out under this section in increasing student access to 
        evidence-based trauma support services and mental health care.
            (8) To establish partnerships with or provide subgrants to 
        Head Start agencies (including Early Head Start agencies), 
        public and private preschool programs, child care programs 
        (including home-based providers), or other entities described 
        in subsection (a), to include such entities described in this 
        paragraph in the evidence-based trauma initiatives, activities, 
        support services, and mental health systems established under 
        this section in order to provide, develop, or improve 
        prevention, screening, referral, and treatment and support 
        services to young children and their families.
    (d) Applications.--To be eligible to receive a grant, contract, or 
cooperative agreement under this section, an entity described in 
subsection (a) shall submit an application to the Secretary at such 
time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary 
may reasonably require, which shall include the following:
            (1) A description of the innovative initiatives, 
        activities, or programs to be funded under the grant, contract, 
        or cooperative agreement, including how such program will 
        increase access to evidence-based trauma support services and 
        mental health care for students, and, as applicable, the 
        families of such students.
            (2) A description of how the program will provide 
        linguistically appropriate and culturally competent services.
            (3) A description of how the program will support students 
        and the school in improving the school climate in order to 
        support an environment conducive to learning.
            (4) An assurance that--
                    (A) persons providing services under the grant, 
                contract, or cooperative agreement are adequately 
                trained to provide such services; and
                    (B) teachers, school leaders, administrators, 
                specialized instructional support personnel, 
                representatives of local Indian Tribes or tribal 
                organizations as appropriate, other school personnel, 
                and parents or guardians of students participating in 
                services under this section will be engaged and 
                involved in the design and implementation of the 
                services.
            (5) A description of how the applicant will support and 
        integrate existing school-based services with the program in 
        order to provide mental health services for students, as 
        appropriate.
            (6) A description of the entities in the community with 
        which the applicant will partner or to which the applicant will 
        provide subgrants in accordance with subsection (c)(8).
    (e) Interagency Agreements.--
            (1) Local interagency agreements.--To ensure the provision 
        of the services described in subsection (c), a recipient of a 
        grant, contract, or cooperative agreement under this section, 
        or their designee, shall establish a local interagency 
        agreement among local educational agencies, agencies 
        responsible for early childhood education programs, Head Start 
        agencies (including Early Head Start agencies), juvenile 
        justice authorities, mental health agencies, child welfare 
        agencies, and other relevant agencies, authorities, or entities 
        in the community that will be involved in the provision of such 
        services.
            (2) Contents.--In ensuring the provision of the services 
        described in subsection (c), the local interagency agreement 
        shall specify with respect to each agency, authority, or entity 
        that is a party to such agreement--
                    (A) the financial responsibility for the services;
                    (B) the conditions and terms of responsibility for 
                the services, including quality, accountability, and 
                coordination of the services; and
                    (C) the conditions and terms of reimbursement among 
                such agencies, authorities, or entities, including 
                procedures for dispute resolution.
    (f) Evaluation.--The Secretary shall reserve not more than 3 
percent of the funds made available under subsection (l) for each 
fiscal year to--
            (1) conduct a rigorous, independent evaluation of the 
        activities funded under this section; and
            (2) disseminate and promote the utilization of evidence-
        based practices regarding trauma support services and mental 
        health care.
    (g) Distribution of Awards.--The Secretary shall ensure that 
grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements awarded or entered into 
under this section are equitably distributed among the geographical 
regions of the United States and among tribal, urban, suburban, and 
rural populations.
    (h) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section shall be 
construed--
            (1) to prohibit an entity involved with a program carried 
        out under this section from reporting a crime that is committed 
        by a student to appropriate authorities; or
            (2) to prevent Federal, State, and tribal law enforcement 
        and judicial authorities from exercising their responsibilities 
        with regard to the application of Federal, tribal, and State 
        law to crimes committed by a student.
    (i) Supplement, Not Supplant.--Any services provided through 
programs carried out under this section shall supplement, and not 
supplant, existing mental health services, including any special 
education and related services provided under the Individuals with 
Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1400 et seq.).
    (j) Consultation With Indian Tribes.--In carrying out subsection 
(a), the Secretary shall, in a timely manner, meaningfully consult with 
Indian Tribes and their representatives to ensure notice of 
eligibility.
    (k) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Elementary school.--The term ``elementary school'' has 
        the meaning given such term in section 8101 of the Elementary 
        and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
            (2) Evidence-based.--The term ``evidence-based'' has the 
        meaning given such term in section 8101(21)(A)(i) of the 
        Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
        7801(21)(A)(i)).
            (3) Native hawaiian educational organization.--The term 
        ``Native Hawaiian educational organization'' has the meaning 
        given such term in section 6207 of the Elementary and Secondary 
        Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7517).
            (4) Local educational agency.--The term ``local educational 
        agency'' has the meaning given such term in section 8101 of the 
        Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
        7801).
            (5) Regional corporation.--The term ``Regional 
        Corporation'' has the meaning given the term in section 3 of 
        the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. 1602).
            (6) School.--The term ``school'' means a public elementary 
        school or public secondary school.
            (7) School leader.--The term ``school leader'' has the 
        meaning given such term in section 8101 of the Elementary and 
        Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
            (8) Secondary school.--The term ``secondary school'' has 
        the meaning given such term in section 8101 of the Elementary 
        and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
            (9) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Education.
            (10) Specialized instructional support personnel.--The term 
        ``specialized instructional support personnel'' has the meaning 
        given such term in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary 
        Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
            (11) State educational agency.--The term ``State 
        educational agency'' has the meaning given such term in section 
        8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 
        U.S.C. 7801).
    (l) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated, and there shall be appropriated, out of any money in the 
Treasury not otherwise appropriated, to carry out this section, 
$50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 through 2023.
                                 <all>