Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
This bill creates the Mental Health in Schools Excellence Program to expand the workforce of school-based mental health providers by matching contributions from eligible graduate programs toward participating students' cost of attendance. Eligible graduate institutions enter agreements with the Department of Education specifying contribution method, maximum amounts, and prioritized student selection.
Supporters emphasize workforce and equity gains; opponents emphasize federal overreach.
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill creates a substantive new federal program with administrative elements to expand the school-based mental health workforce by matching graduate institution contributions, providing clear purpose and statutory linkages but limited operational, fiscal, and accountability detail.
This bill creates the Mental Health in Schools Excellence Program to expand the workforce of school-based mental health providers by matching contributions from eligible graduate programs toward participating students' cost of attendance.
Eligible graduate institutions enter agreements with the Department of Education specifying contribution method, maximum amounts, and prioritized student selection.
The Secretary will post participating institutions online, conduct targeted outreach to Pell recipients and institutions listed in HEA section 371(a), and may provide up to a 50 percent match of a participating student's cost of attendance.
Substantive bipartisan appeal but uncertain fiscal commitment and procedural hurdles reduce near-term chances.
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill creates a substantive new federal program with administrative elements to expand the school-based mental health workforce by matching graduate institution contributions, providing clear purpose and statutory linkages but limited operational, fiscal, and accountability detail.
Supporters emphasize workforce and equity gains; opponents emphasize federal overreach.
These are examples from the analysis, not a ranked list of the most-affected groups.
Supporters emphasize workforce and equity gains; opponents emphasize federal overreach.
Likely supportive: sees the bill as a targeted federal role to address shortages in school mental health staff and reduce financial barriers for graduate students.
Appreciates prioritization of Pell recipients and institutions listed in HEA 371(a) as advancing equity in recruitment.
Generally favorable but cautious: values workforce development and public-private cost-sharing while wanting clarity on costs and safeguards.
Will look for measurable outcomes, fiscal transparency, and equitable distribution across states.
Skeptical: may question expanded federal involvement in higher education financing and prefer state, local, or private solutions.
Some may accept workforce-focused incentives, but concerns about federal matching and open-ended costs remain.
Reached or meaningfully advanced
Reached or meaningfully advanced
Still ahead
Still ahead
Still ahead
Substantive bipartisan appeal but uncertain fiscal commitment and procedural hurdles reduce near-term chances.
The bill has not accumulated any surfaced votes yet.
Supporters emphasize workforce and equity gains; opponents emphasize federal overreach.
Substantive bipartisan appeal but uncertain fiscal commitment and procedural hurdles reduce near-term chances.
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill creates a substantive new federal program with administrative elements to expand the school-based mental health workforce by matching graduate institution contributio…
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