Mental Health in Schools Excellence Program Act of 2023

I 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 fol- lowing bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce A BILL To establish the Mental Health in Schools Excellence Pro- gram 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 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 ‘‘Mental Health in 4 Schools Excellence Program Act of 2023’’. 5 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:59 May 22, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3228.IH H3228 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 2 •HR 3228 IH SEC. 2. PROGRAM TO ESTABLISH PUBLIC-PRIVATE CON- 1 TRIBUTIONS TO INCREASE THE AVAILABLE 2 WORKFORCE OF SCHOOL-BASED MENTAL 3 HEALTH SERVICE PROVIDERS. 4 (a) PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.—The Secretary shall 5 carry out a program under which eligible graduate institu- 6 tions may enter into an agreement with the Secretary to 7 cover a portion of the cost of attendance of a participating 8 student, which contributions shall be matched by equiva- 9 lent contributions towards such cost of attendance by the 10 Secretary. 11 (b) DESIGNATION OF PROGRAM.—The program 12 under this section shall be known as the ‘‘Mental Health 13 in Schools Excellence Program’’. 14 (c) AGREEMENTS.—The Secretary shall enter into an 15 agreement with each eligible graduate institution seeking 16 to participate in the program under this section. Each 17 agreement shall specify the following: 18 (1) The manner (whether by direct grant, schol- 19 arship, or otherwise) in which the eligible graduate 20 institution will contribute to the cost of attendance 21 of a participating student. 22 (2) The maximum amount of the contribution 23 to be made by the eligible graduate institution with 24 respect to any particular participating student in 25 any given academic year. 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:59 May 22, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3228.IH H3228 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 3 •HR 3228 IH (3) The maximum number of individuals for 1 whom the eligible graduate institution will make con- 2 tributions in any given academic year. 3 (4) That the eligible graduate institution, in se- 4 lecting participating students to receive assistance 5 under the program, shall prioritize the participating 6 students described in subsection (d)(2). 7 (5) Such other matters as the Secretary and 8 the eligible graduate institution determine appro- 9 priate. 10 (d) OUTREACH.—The Secretary shall— 11 (1) make publicly available and periodically up- 12 date on the internet website of the Department of 13 Education a list of the eligible graduate institutions 14 participating in the program under this section that 15 shall specify, for each such graduate institution, ap- 16 propriate information on the agreement between the 17 Secretary and such college or university under sub- 18 section (c); and 19 (2) conduct outreach about the program under 20 this section to participating students who, as under- 21 graduates— 22 (A) received a Federal Pell Grant under 23 section 401 of the Higher Education Act of 24 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070a); or 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:59 May 22, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3228.IH H3228 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 4 •HR 3228 IH (B) attended an institution listed in section 1 371(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 2 (20 U.S.C. 1067q(a)). 3 (e) MATCHING CONTRIBUTIONS.—The Secretary may 4 provide a contribution of up to 50 percent of the cost of 5 attendance of a participating student if the eligible grad- 6 uate institution at which such student is enrolled enters 7 into an agreement under subsection (c) with the Secretary 8 to match such contribution. 9 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 10 In this Act: 11 (1) COST OF ATTENDANCE.—The term ‘‘cost of 12 attendance’’ has the meaning given the term in sec- 13 tion 472 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 14 U.S.C. 1087ll). 15 (2) ELIGIBLE GRADUATE INSTITUTION.—The 16 term ‘‘eligible graduate institution’’ means an insti- 17 tution of higher education in that offers a program 18 of study that leads to a graduate degree— 19 (A) in school psychology that is accredited 20 or approved by the National Association of 21 School Psychologists’ Program Accreditation 22 Board or the Commission on Accreditation of 23 the American Psychological Association and 24 that prepares students in such program for the 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:59 May 22, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3228.IH H3228 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 5 •HR 3228 IH State licensing or certification examination in 1 school psychology at the specialist level; 2 (B) in an accredited school counseling pro- 3 gram that prepares students in such program 4 for the State licensing or certification examina- 5 tion in school counseling; 6 (C) in school social work that is accredited 7 by the Council on Social Work Education and 8 that prepares students in such program for the 9 State licensing or certification examination in 10 school social work; 11 (D) in another school-based mental health 12 field that prepares students in such program 13 for the State licensing or certification examina- 14 tion in such field, if applicable; or 15 (E) in any combination of study described 16 in subparagraphs (A) through (D). 17 (3) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.—The 18 term ‘‘institution of higher education’’ has the 19 meaning given such term in section 101 of the High- 20 er Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001), but ex- 21 cludes any institution of higher education described 22 in section 102(a)(1)(C) of such Act. 23 (4) PARTICIPATING STUDENT.—The term ‘‘par- 24 ticipating student’’ means an individual who is en- 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:59 May 22, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3228.IH H3228 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 6 •HR 3228 IH rolled in a graduate degree program in a school- 1 based mental health field at a participating eligible 2 graduate institution. 3 (5) SCHOOL-BASED MENTAL HEALTH FIELD.— 4 The term ‘‘school-based mental health field’’ means 5 each of the following fields: 6 (A) School counseling. 7 (B) School social work. 8 (C) School psychology. 9 (D) Any other field of study that leads to 10 employment as a school-based mental health 11 services provider, as determined by the Sec- 12 retary. 13 (6) SCHOOL-BASED MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES 14 PROVIDER.—The term ‘‘school-based mental health 15 services provider’’ has the meaning given the term in 16 section 4102 of the Elementary and Secondary Edu- 17 cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7112). 18 (7) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 19 the Secretary of Education. 20 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:59 May 22, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H3228.IH H3228 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB