Bill Details
HR.1649 - 119th Congress
Status
Latest action
2025-02-27 - Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
Introduced Date
2025-02-27
Policy Area
Education
Committees
View committees (1)
Sponsors
6
0
0
AI Summary This summary was generated by AI from the bill text. AI can get information wrong.
This bill would let schools and states use certain federal education funds to improve mental health support for students. It encourages schools to add or expand services such as mental health first aid training, emergency planning, partnerships with local mental health agencies, and telehealth options. It also makes it easier for schools to use education technology money for tools that support mental health services.
- States could use grant money to improve student mental health services in several ways, including sharing best practices for mental health first aid.
- The bill supports school emergency planning, including the use of emergency response teams when schools face a crisis.
- It encourages schools to work with local mental health providers, including nonprofit, public, and private groups, to better coordinate care for students.
- School districts applying for funds would need to explain, if relevant, how they plan to use the money for mental health services, and technology used for those services would not be blocked by current limits on infrastructure spending.
Official Summaries
Expanding Student Access to Mental Health Services Act
This bill authorizes state and local educational agencies to use Student Support and Academic Enrichment grants to improve mental health services available to students. Specifically, the bill allows funds to be used for identifying and disseminating best practices for mental health first aid, emergency planning, coordination of services, and telehealth services.
Current Full Text
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1649 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1649
To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to improve
mental health services for students, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 27, 2025
Mr. Allen introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Education and Workforce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to improve
mental health services for students, 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 ``Expanding Student Access to Mental
Health Services Act''.
SEC. 2. SUPPORTING MENTAL HEALTH.
(a) State Use of Funds.--Section 4104(b)(3)(B) of the Elementary
and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7114(b)(3)(B)) is
amended--
(1) in clause (iii), by striking ``and'' at the end; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
``(v) improving the mental health services
available to students, which may include--
``(I) identifying and disseminating
best practices for mental health first
aid;
``(II) assisting in the
establishment or implementation of
emergency planning, which may include
emergency response teams to address
emergencies at schools;
``(III) establishing or identifying
agreements with local health agencies,
including nonprofit, public, and
private mental health agencies and
institutions, to improve coordination
of services; and
``(IV) telehealth services; and''.
(b) Local Educational Agency Applications.--Section 4106(e)(1) of
the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
7116(e)(1)) is amended--
(1) in subparagraph (D), by striking ``and'' at the end;
(2) by redesignating subparagraph (E) as subparagraph (F);
and
(3) by inserting after subparagraph (D), the following:
``(E) if applicable, how funds will be used for
activities related to providing mental health services
under section 4108; and''.
(c) Activities To Support the Effective Use of Technology.--Section
4109 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
7119) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)--
(A) in paragraph (5), by striking ``and'' at the
end;
(B) in paragraph (6), by striking the period at the
end and inserting ``; and''; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
``(7) providing technology to improve mental health
services.''; and
(2) in subsection (b)--
(A) by striking ``A local'' and inserting the
following:
``(1) In general.--A local''; and
(B) by adding at the end the following:
``(2) Exception.--The limitation described in paragraph (1)
shall not apply to technology infrastructure that is also used
for mental health services.''.
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