What This Bill Does
This bill directs the federal government to help improve mental health and well-being for teachers and school staff. It requires the government to share best practices for preventing suicide and supporting mental health among education professionals, and to create a national awareness campaign encouraging school staff to seek mental health care.
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Who It Affects
- Education professionals and school staff
- State educational agencies
- Local educational agencies
- Institutions of higher education
- Schools receiving federal financial assistance
- Medical professional associations
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Key Provisions
- The Secretary of Health and Human Services must identify and share evidence-based or evidence-informed best practices for preventing suicide and improving mental health among education professionals and school staff within 2 years of the law passing. (Sec. 2)
- The Secretary must establish a national education and awareness initiative to encourage school staff to seek mental health care and to reduce the shame associated with getting mental health help. (Sec. 3)
- The Secretary will award grants or contracts to eligible organizations to establish or improve programs that promote mental health and provide mental health care services to education professionals and school staff, with priority given to areas serving high-poverty schools. (Sec. 4)
- The Secretary may award grants to support training programs for educators that include mental health and substance use disorder strategies. (Sec. 4)
- Within 2 years of passage, the Secretary must review mental health conditions among school staff and report findings to Congress, including assessments of barriers to getting mental health care. (Sec. 5)
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What Changes
If this bill becomes law, the federal government will begin funding national efforts to identify and spread mental health best practices for teachers and school staff. Schools will have access to federal grant money to start new mental health programs or improve existing ones. Education colleges will receive funding to include mental health training in teacher preparation programs. The government will also launch a national campaign to encourage teachers and school staff to seek mental health care without shame.
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Important Definitions
- "Education professionals and other school staff" - Not explicitly defined in bill text
- "Evidence-based or evidence-informed" - Not defined in bill text
- "Institution of higher education" - Defined by reference to section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965
- "Local educational agency" and "State educational agency" - Defined by reference to section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965
- "Telehealth" - Not defined in bill text
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Effective Date
Not specified in bill text
I
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 744
To address behavioral health and well-being among education professionals
and other school staff.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
FEBRUARY 2, 2023
Ms. BONAMICI (for herself, Mr. FITZPATRICK, and Ms. WILD) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Com-
merce, and in addition to the Committee on Education and the Work-
force, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each
case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of
the committee concerned
A BILL
To address behavioral health and well-being among education
professionals and other school staff.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
1
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
2
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
3
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Supporting the Mental
4
Health of Educators and Staff Act of 2023’’.
5
SEC. 2. DISSEMINATION OF BEST PRACTICES.
6
Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment
7
of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services
8
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•HR 744 IH
(referred to in this Act as the ‘‘Secretary’’), in consulta-
1
tion with the Secretary of Education, shall identify and
2
disseminate evidence-based or evidence-informed best
3
practices for—
4
(1) preventing suicide and improving mental
5
health and resiliency among education professionals
6
and other school staff; and
7
(2) training education professionals and other
8
school staff in appropriate strategies to support,
9
maintain, and promote their mental health.
10
SEC. 3. EDUCATION AND AWARENESS INITIATIVE ENCOUR-
11
AGING USE OF MENTAL HEALTH AND SUB-
12
STANCE USE DISORDER SERVICES BY EDU-
13
CATION
PROFESSIONALS
AND
OTHER
14
SCHOOL STAFF.
15
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, in consultation
16
with relevant stakeholders, including medical professional
17
associations, shall establish a national evidence-based or
18
evidence-informed education and awareness initiative—
19
(1) to encourage education professionals and
20
other school staff to seek support and care for their
21
mental health or substance use concerns, to help
22
such professionals and staff identify factors associ-
23
ated with risks for suicide and mental health condi-
24
tions, and to help such professionals and staff learn
25
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•HR 744 IH
how best to respond to such risks, with the goal of
1
preventing suicide, mental health conditions, and
2
substance use disorders; and
3
(2) to address stigma associated with seeking
4
mental health and substance use disorder services.
5
(b) REPORTING.—Not later than 2 years after the
6
date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall provide
7
to the Congress an update on the activities and outcomes
8
of the initiative under subsection (a), including a descrip-
9
tion of quantitative and qualitative metrics used to evalu-
10
ate such activities and outcomes.
11
(c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—To carry
12
out this section, there is authorized to be appropriated
13
$10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2023 through 2025.
14
SEC. 4. PROGRAMS TO PROMOTE MENTAL HEALTH AMONG
15
THE EDUCATION WORKFORCE.
16
Subpart I of part E of title VII of the Public Health
17
Service Act (42 U.S.C. 294n et seq.) is amended—
18
(1) by redesignating the second section 764 (42
19
U.S.C. 294s, as added by section 4 of Public Law
20
117–105) as section 764A; and
21
(2) by inserting after such section 764A, as so
22
redesignated, the following:
23
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‘‘SEC. 764B. PROGRAMS TO PROMOTE MENTAL HEALTH
1
AMONG THE EDUCATION WORKFORCE.
2
‘‘(a) PROGRAMS TO PROMOTE MENTAL HEALTH
3
AMONG
EDUCATION
PROFESSIONALS
AND
OTHER
4
SCHOOL STAFF.—
5
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall award
6
grants or contracts to eligible entities to establish or
7
enhance evidence-based or evidence-informed pro-
8
grams dedicated to improving mental health and re-
9
siliency for education professionals and other school
10
staff.
11
‘‘(2) ELIGIBILITY.—To be eligible to receive a
12
grant or contract under this subsection, an entity
13
shall be a State educational agency, a local edu-
14
cational agency, an institution of higher education,
15
or a consortia thereof.
16
‘‘(3) USE OF FUNDS.—An recipient of a grant
17
or contract under this subsection shall use funds re-
18
ceived through the grant or contract to implement a
19
new program or enhance an existing program to pro-
20
mote mental health among education professionals
21
and other school staff, which may include—
22
‘‘(A) improving awareness among edu-
23
cation professionals and other school staff
24
about risk factors for, and signs of, suicide and
25
mental health or substance use disorders, in ac-
26
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•HR 744 IH
cordance with evidence-based or evidence-in-
1
formed practices;
2
‘‘(B) establishing new, or enhancing exist-
3
ing, evidence-based or evidence-informed pro-
4
grams for preventing suicide and improving
5
mental health and resiliency among education
6
professionals and other school staff;
7
‘‘(C) establishing new, or enhancing exist-
8
ing, peer-support programs among education
9
professionals and other school staff; or
10
‘‘(D) providing mental health care, follow-
11
up services and care by a licensed or certified
12
mental health professional (including by means
13
of telehealth), or a referral for such care or
14
services by a licensed or certified mental health
15
professional, as appropriate.
16
‘‘(4) PRIORITY.—In awarding grants and con-
17
tracts under this subsection, the Secretary shall give
18
priority to eligible entities in areas with a high per-
19
centage of schools receiving financial assistance
20
under part A of title I of the Elementary and Sec-
21
ondary Education Act of 1965.
22
‘‘(b) TRAINING GRANTS.—The Secretary may estab-
23
lish a program to award grants to institutions of higher
24
education, State educational agencies, local educational
25
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agencies, State or local governments, Indian Tribes or
1
Tribal organizations, or other appropriate public or pri-
2
vate nonprofit entities (or consortia of entities, including
3
entities promoting multidisciplinary approaches) to sup-
4
port the inclusion in educator preparation programs (in-
5
cluding administrator preparation programs), and in
6
training, continuing education, or professional develop-
7
ment programs for education professionals and other
8
school staff, of evidence-based or evidence-informed strate-
9
gies—
10
‘‘(1) to address mental and substance use dis-
11
orders; and
12
‘‘(2) to improve mental health and resiliency
13
among education professionals and other school
14
staff.
15
‘‘(c) GRANT TERMS.—A grant or contract awarded
16
under subsection (a) or (b) shall be for a period of 3 years.
17
‘‘(d) APPLICATION SUBMISSION.—An entity seeking
18
a grant or contract under subsection (a) or (b) shall sub-
19
mit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such
20
manner, and accompanied by such information as the Sec-
21
retary may require.
22
‘‘(e) ANNUAL REPORT.—An entity awarded a grant
23
or contract under subsection (a) or (b) shall submit to the
24
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•HR 744 IH
Secretary an annual report evaluating the activities sup-
1
ported by the grant or contract.
2
‘‘(f) DEFINITIONS.—In this section:
3
‘‘(1) The term ‘institution of higher education’
4
has the meaning given to such term in section 101
5
of the Higher Education Act of 1965.
6
‘‘(2) The terms ‘local educational agency’ and
7
‘State educational agency’ have the meanings given
8
to such terms in section 8101 of the Elementary and
9
Secondary Education Act of 1965.
10
‘‘(g) AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIATIONS.—To
11
carry out this section, there is authorized to be appro-
12
priated $35,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2024 through
13
2026.’’.
14
SEC. 5. REVIEW WITH RESPECT TO EDUCATION WORK-
15
FORCE MENTAL HEALTH AND RESILIENCY.
16
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 2 years after the
17
date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary, in consulta-
18
tion with relevant stakeholders, shall—
19
(1) conduct a review on improving—
20
(A) the mental health of education profes-
21
sionals and other school staff; and
22
(B) the outcomes of programs authorized
23
under this Act; and
24
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(2) submit a report to the Congress on the re-
1
sults of such review.
2
(b) CONSIDERATIONS.—The review under subsection
3
(a) may include—
4
(1) assessing the prevalence and severity of
5
mental health conditions among education profes-
6
sionals and other school staff, and determining the
7
factors that contribute to those mental health condi-
8
tions;
9
(2) assessing barriers to seeking and accessing
10
mental health care for education professionals and
11
other school staff, and actions taken by State edu-
12
cational agencies and local educational agencies, or
13
other organizations, as appropriate, to address such
14
barriers;
15
(3) determining the effects of the COVID–19
16
public health emergency on the mental health of
17
education professionals and other school staff and
18
lessons learned for future public health emergencies;
19
(4) assessing programs and policies that pro-
20
mote mental health and resiliency among education
21
professionals and other school staff, including pro-
22
grams and policies to strengthen mental health and
23
resiliency among education professionals and other
24
school staff; and
25
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•HR 744 IH
(5) assessing the efficacy of training programs
1
for education professionals and other school staff
2
that promote resiliency and improve mental health.
3
(c) RECOMMENDATIONS.—The review under sub-
4
section (a), as appropriate, shall identify best practices re-
5
lated to, and make recommendations to address—
6
(1) improving mental health and resiliency
7
among education professionals and other school
8
staff;
9
(2) removing barriers to mental health care for
10
education professionals and other school staff; and
11
(3) strategies to promote resiliency among edu-
12
cation professionals and other school staff in health
13
care settings.
14
SEC. 6. GAO REPORT.
15
Not later than 4 years after the date of enactment
16
of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States
17
shall submit to the Congress a report on the extent to
18
which Federal substance use disorder and mental health
19
grant programs address the prevalence and severity of
20
mental health conditions and substance use disorders
21
among education professionals and other school staff.
22
Such report shall—
23
(1) include an analysis of available evidence and
24
data related to such conditions and programs; and
25
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•HR 744 IH
(2) assess whether there are duplicative goals
1
and objectives among such grant programs.
2
Æ
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