Title: Mental Health in Schools Excellence Program Act of 2019
Policy area: Health

Summary:
Mental Health in Schools Excellence Program Act of 2019  This bill establishes a program to expand the mental-health services workforce in schools. Specifically, the bill requires the Department of Education to contract with graduate institutions to pay a share of the cost of attendance for graduate students pursuing careers in the school-based mental-health profession (e.g., school counselor).

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4025 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 4025

    To establish the Mental Health in Schools Excellence Program to 
 increase the recruitment and retention of school-based mental health 
              services providers, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 25, 2019

  Mr. Fitzpatrick (for himself and Ms. Wild) introduced the following 
    bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To establish the Mental Health in Schools Excellence Program to 
 increase the recruitment and retention of school-based mental health 
              services providers, 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 ``Mental Health in Schools Excellence 
Program Act of 2019''.

SEC. 2. PROGRAM TO ESTABLISH PUBLIC-PRIVATE CONTRIBUTIONS TO INCREASE 
              THE AVAILABLE WORKFORCE OF SCHOOL-BASED MENTAL HEALTH 
              SERVICE PROVIDERS.

    (a) Program Authorized.--The Secretary shall carry out a program 
under which eligible graduate institutions may enter into an agreement 
with the Secretary to cover a portion of the cost of attendance of a 
participating student, which contributions shall be matched by 
equivalent contributions towards such cost of attendance by the 
Secretary.
    (b) Designation of Program.--The program under this section shall 
be known as the ``Mental Health in Schools Excellence Program''.
    (c) Agreements.--The Secretary shall enter into an agreement with 
each eligible graduate institution seeking to participate in the 
program under this section. Each agreement shall specify the following:
            (1) The manner (whether by direct grant, scholarship, or 
        otherwise) in which the eligible graduate institution will 
        contribute to the cost of attendance of a participating 
        student.
            (2) The maximum amount of the contribution to be made by 
        the eligible graduate institution with respect to any 
        particular participating student in any given academic year.
            (3) The maximum number of individuals for whom the eligible 
        graduate institution will make contributions in any given 
        academic year.
            (4) Such other matters as the Secretary and the eligible 
        graduate institution determine appropriate.
    (d) Outreach.--The Secretary shall--
            (1) make publicly available and periodically update on the 
        internet website of the Department of Education a list of the 
        eligible graduate institutions participating in the program 
        under this section that shall specify, for each such graduate 
        institution, appropriate information on the agreement between 
        the Secretary and such college or university under subsection 
        (c); and
            (2) conduct outreach to students who are eligible for 
        Federal Pell Grants to inform such students of the program 
        under this section.
    (e) Participating Students.--
            (1) Repayment.--A participating student that accepts a 
        contribution under this section shall reimburse the Department 
        of Education and the eligible graduate school for all 
        contributions made by such entities to such student as if such 
        contributions were a loan under part D of title IV of the 
        Higher Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1087a) if the student--
                    (A) withdraws or is removed from the graduate 
                degree program for which the student received such 
                contributions; or
                    (B) except as provided in paragraph (2) and subject 
                to paragraph (3), graduates, but is not employed as a 
                school-based mental health services provider in the 5-
                year period after graduation.
            (2) Exception.--For purposes of calculating the 5-year 
        period after graduation under paragraph (1)(C), the Secretary 
        may not count any period of less than 2 years in which the 
        participating student--
                    (A) takes leave under the Family and Medical Leave 
                Act of 1993 (29 U.S.C. 2601 et seq.);
                    (B) serves under active duty in the Armed Forces;
                    (C) takes maternity or paternity leave; or
                    (D) any combination of subparagraphs (A) through 
                (C).
            (3) Ratable reduction.--A participating student described 
        in paragraph (1)(C) who was employed as a school-based mental 
        health services provider for less than 5 years during the 5-
        year period after graduation shall reimburse the Department of 
        Education and the eligible graduate school the amount that 
        bears the same proportion to all contributions made by such 
        entities as the amount of time such participating student was 
        employed as a school-based mental health services provider 
        during such 5-year period bears to such 5-year period.
    (f) Matching Contributions.--The Secretary may provide a 
contribution of up to 50 percent of the cost of attendance of a 
participating student if the eligible graduate institution at which 
such student is enrolled enters into an agreement under subsection (c) 
with the Secretary to match such contribution.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Cost of attendance.--The term ``cost of attendance'' 
        has the meaning given the term in section 472 of the Higher 
        Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087ll).
            (2) Eligible graduate institution.--The term ``eligible 
        graduate institution'' means an institution of higher education 
        in that offers a program of study that leads to a graduate 
        degree--
                    (A) in school psychology that is accredited or 
                approved by the National Association of School 
                Psychologists' Program Accreditation Board or the 
                Commission on Accreditation of the American 
                Psychological Association and that prepares students in 
                such program for the State licensing or certification 
                examination in school psychology at the specialist 
                level;
                    (B) in an accredited school counseling program that 
                prepares students in such program for the State 
                licensing or certification examination in school 
                counseling;
                    (C) in school social work that is accredited by the 
                Council on Social Work Education and that prepares 
                students in such program for the State licensing or 
                certification examination in school social work;
                    (D) in another school-based mental health field 
                that prepares students in such program for the State 
                licensing or certification examination in such field, 
                if applicable; or
                    (E) in any combination of study described in 
                subparagraphs (A) through (D).
            (3) Institution of higher education.--The term 
        ``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given such 
        term in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
        U.S.C. 1001), but excludes any institution of higher education 
        described in section 102(a)(1)(C) of such Act.
            (4) Participating student.--The term ``participating 
        student'' means an individual who is enrolled in a graduate 
        degree in a school-based mental health field from a 
        participating eligible graduate institution.
            (5) School-based mental health field.--The term ``school-
        based mental health field'' means each of the following fields:
                    (A) School counseling.
                    (B) School social work.
                    (C) School psychology.
                    (D) Any other field of study that leads to 
                employment as a school-based mental health services 
                provider, as determined by the Secretary.
            (6) 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 Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7112).
            (7) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Education.
                                 <all>