Title: Mental Health Excellence in Schools Act
Policy area: Education

Summary:
Mental Health Excellence in Schools Act
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 counseling).
Additionally, the bill requires an independent national evaluation of the outcomes and effectiveness of the program.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3927 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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117th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3927

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


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 24, 2022

 Mr. Peters (for Mrs. Shaheen (for herself, Mr. Young, Mr. Peters, and 
 Mr. Cramer)) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
  referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To establish the Mental Health Excellence in Schools 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 Excellence in Schools 
Act''.

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 Excellence in Schools 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) That the eligible graduate institution, in selecting 
        participating students to receive assistance under the program, 
        shall prioritize the participating students described in 
        subsection (d)(2).
            (5) 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 eligible graduate institution under 
        subsection (c); and
            (2) conduct outreach about the program under this section 
        to participating students who, as undergraduates--
                    (A) received a Federal Pell Grant under section 401 
                of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070a); 
                or
                    (B) attended an institution listed in section 
                371(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
                1067q(a)).
    (e) 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.
    (f) Monitoring and Evaluation.--As a condition of participation in 
the program under this section, each eligible graduate institution 
shall agree to submit an annual report to the Secretary describing--
            (1) the number of students served by the program;
            (2) the percentage of tuition cost covered by the program;
            (3) the number of participating students who were also 
        recipients of a Federal Pell grant; and
            (4) as applicable, the graduation rates and post-graduate 
        employment of participating students.
    (g) Interim Report.--Not later than 2 years after the first 
contributions are provided under this section, the Secretary shall 
submit an interim report to Congress based on the annual reports 
required by subsection (f).
    (h) Independent National Evaluation.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 4 years after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall provide for the 
        commencement of an independent national evaluation of the 
        outcomes and effectiveness of the program under this section.
            (2) Report to congress.--Not later than 90 days after 
        receiving the results of such independent national evaluation, 
        the Secretary shall submit a report to Congress containing the 
        findings of the evaluation and the Secretary's recommendations 
        for improvements to the program.
    (i) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this Act--
            (1) $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2023;
            (2) $30,000,000 for fiscal year 2024; and
            (3) $50,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2025 through 
        2027.

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 
        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).
            (4) Participating student.--The term ``participating 
        student'' means an individual who is enrolled in a graduate 
        degree program in a school-based mental health field at 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.
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