I 118th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 8981 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES July 10, 2024 Mrs. Hayes (for herself, Ms. Brown , Ms. Norton , Mrs. Dingell , Mr. Johnson of Georgia , Mr. Krishnamoorthi , Mr. Moulton , Mrs. Watson Coleman , Ms. Salinas , Mr. Thanedar , Ms. Jackson Lee , Ms. Williams of Georgia , and Mrs. Ramirez ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce A BILL To amend the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act to improve trauma support services and mental health care for children and youth in educational settings, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Supporting Trauma-Informed Education Practices Act of 2024 . 2. Amendment to the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act Section 7134 of the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act ( 42 U.S.C. 280h–7 ) is amended to read as follows: 7134. Grants to improve trauma support services and mental health care for children and youth in educational settings (a) Authorization of grants (1) Grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements authorized The Secretary, in coordination with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, is authorized to award grants to, or enter into contracts or cooperative agreements with, an eligible entity for the purpose of increasing student, teacher, school leader, and other school personnel access to evidence-based trauma support services and mental health services by developing innovative initiatives, activities, or programs to connect schools and local educational agencies, or tribal educational agencies, as applicable, with community trauma-informed support and mental health systems, including such systems under the Indian Health Service. (2) Reservations From the total amount appropriated under subsection (l) for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall reserve— (A) not more than 3 percent to conduct the evaluation under subsection (f); and (B) not more than 2 percent for technical assistance and administration. (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 5 years. (c) Use of funds An eligible entity that receives or enters into a grant, contract, or cooperative agreement under this section shall use amounts made available through such grant, contract, or cooperative agreement for evidence-based initiatives, activities, or programs, which shall include at least 1 of the following: (1) Enhancing, improving, or developing collaborative efforts between schools, local educational agencies or tribal educational agencies, as applicable, and community mental health and trauma-informed service delivery systems to provide, develop, or improve prevention, referral, treatment, and support services to students. (2) Implementing trauma-informed models of support, including positive behavioral interventions and supports in schools served by the eligible entity. (3) Providing professional development to teachers, paraprofessionals, school leaders, school-based mental health services providers, and other specialized instructional support personnel employed by local educational agencies or tribal educational agencies, as applicable or schools served by the eligible entity 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-informed support or mental health services, including by helping educators to identify the unique personal and contextual variables that influence the manifestation of trauma; and (C) reflects the best practices for trauma-informed identification, referral, and support developed by the Interagency Task Force on Trauma-Informed Care (as established by section 7132). (4) Providing trauma-informed support services and mental health services to students at full-service community schools served by the eligible entity. (5) Engaging families and communities to increase awareness of child and youth trauma, which may include sharing best practices with law enforcement regarding trauma-informed services and working with mental health professionals to provide interventions and longer term coordinated care within the community for children and youth who have experienced trauma and the families of such children and youth. (6) Evaluating the effectiveness of the initiatives, activities, or programs carried out under this section in increasing student access to evidence-based trauma support services and mental health services. (7) Establishing partnerships with or providing subgrants to early childhood education programs or other eligible entities, to include such entities in the evidence-based trauma-informed or mental health initiatives, activities, and support services established under this section in order to provide, develop, or improve prevention, referral, treatment, and support services to children and their families. (8) Establishing new, or enhancing existing, evidence-based educational, awareness, and prevention programs to improve mental health and resiliency among teachers, paraprofessionals, school leaders, school-based mental health services providers, and other specialized instructional support personnel employed by local educational agencies or tribal educational agencies, as applicable, or schools served by the eligible entity. (d) Applications To be eligible to receive a grant, contract, or cooperative agreement under this section, an eligible entity 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 initiatives, activities, or programs will increase access to evidence-based trauma-informed support services and mental health services for students, and, as applicable, the families of such students. (2) A description of how the initiatives, activities, or programs will provide linguistically appropriate and culturally competent services. (3) A description of how the initiatives, activities, or programs will support schools served by the eligible entity in improving school climate in order to support an environment conducive to learning. (4) An assurance that— (A) persons providing services under the initiative, activity, or program funded by the grant, contract, or cooperative agreement are fully licensed or certified to provide such services; (B) teachers, school leaders, administrators, school-based mental health services providers and other specialized instructional support personnel, representatives of local Indian Tribes or tribal organizations as appropriate, other school personnel, individuals who have experience receiving mental health services as children, and parents of students participating in services under this section will be engaged and involved in the design and implementation of the services; and (C) the eligible entity will comply with the evaluation required under subsection (f). (5) A description of how the eligible entity will support and integrate existing school-based services at schools served by the eligible entity with the initiatives, activities, or programs funded under this section in order to provide trauma-informed support services or mental health services for students, as appropriate. (6) A description of how the eligible entity will incorporate peer support services into the initiatives, activities, or programs to be funded under this section. (7) A description of how the eligible entity will ensure that initiatives, activities, or programs funded under this section are accessible to and include students with disabilities. (8) An assurance that the eligible entity will establish a local interagency agreement under subsection (e) and comply with such agreement. (e) Interagency agreements (1) Local interagency agreements In carrying out an evidence-based initiative, activity, or program described in subsection (c), an eligible entity that receives a grant, contract, or cooperative agreement under this section, or a designee of such entity, shall establish an interagency agreement between 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 services under such initiative, activity, or program. (2) Contents The local interagency agreement required under paragraph (1) shall specify, with respect to each agency, authority, or entity that is a party to such agreement— (A) the financial responsibility for any services provided by such entity; (B) the conditions and terms of responsibility for such any services, including quality, accountability, and coordination of the services; and (C) the conditions and terms of reimbursement of such agencies, authorities, or entities, including procedures for dispute resolution. (f) Evaluation The Secretary shall conduct a rigorous and independent evaluation of the initiatives, activities, and programs carried out by an eligible entity under this section and disseminate evidence-based practices regarding trauma-informed support services and mental health services. (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 an initiative, activity, or 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, local, and tribal law enforcement and judicial authorities from exercising their responsibilities with regard to the application of Federal, State, local, and tribal law to crimes committed by a student. (i) Supplement, not supplant Federal funds provided under this section shall be used to supplement, and not supplant, other Federal, State, or local funds available to carry out the initiatives, activities, and programs described in this section. (j) Consultation required In awarding or entering into grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements under this section, the Secretary shall, in a timely manner, meaningfully consult with Indian Tribes, Regional Corporations, Native Hawaiian Educational Organizations, and their representatives to ensure notice of eligibility. (k) Definitions In this section: (1) Early childhood education program The term early childhood education program has the meaning given such term in section 103 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 1003 ). (2) Eligible entity The term eligible entity means— (A) a State educational agency; (B) a local educational agency; (C) an Indian Tribe (as defined in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act) or their tribal educational agency; (D) the Bureau of Indian Education; (E) a Regional Corporation; (F) a Native Hawaiian educational organization; and (G) State, Territory, and Tribal Lead Agencies administering the Child Care and Development Fund as described in section 658D(a) of the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act ( 42 U.S.C. 9858b(a) ). (3) ESEA terms (A) The terms elementary school , evidence-based , local educational agency , paraprofessional , parent , professional development , school leader , secondary school , Secretary , specialized instructional support personnel , 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 ). (B) The term full-service community school has the meaning given such term in section 4622 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 7272 ). (C) 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 ). (D) 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 ). (4) 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 ). (5) School The term school means a public elementary school or public secondary school. (l) Authorization of appropriations There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section, $50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2025 through 2029. .