Mental Health in Schools Excellence Program Act of 2023
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).
[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3228 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3228
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
May 11, 2023
Mr. Fitzpatrick (for himself and Mr. Golden of Maine) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and
the Workforce
_______________________________________________________________________
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 2023''.
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) 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 college or university 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.
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 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.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
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