Mental Health Services for Students Act of 2025

Bill Number

H.R. 5557

Origin Chamber

House

Congress

119th Congress, Session 1

Policy Area

Health

Status

Introduced

Latest Action

2025-09-23: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Last Updated

2026-07-01T08:07:59Z

AI-Generated Summary

Purpose

The Mental Health Services for Students Act of 2025 aims to improve access to comprehensive mental health programs in schools by amending the Public Health Service Act. It focuses on supporting children and adolescents dealing with trauma, grief, suicide risk, and violence through school- and community-based services.

Key Provisions

• Funding Mechanism: The Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), in consultation with the Secretary of Education, awards grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements to eligible partnerships for up to 5 years (with renewal options). Grants are capped at $2 million per award for the first 5 fiscal years, based on the population of children under 21 in the served area. $300 million is authorized annually for fiscal years 2027 and 2028.
• Services and Supports: Programs must provide developmentally, linguistically, and culturally appropriate, trauma-informed services (trauma-informed means sensitive to the effects of trauma on individuals). These include positive behavioral interventions (non-punitive strategies to promote good behavior) and supports.
• Authorized Activities:
• Implement school- and community-based programs to raise awareness of trauma's impacts, train staff to identify mental health issues or suicide risks, and provide family engagement, student treatment, and multigenerational supports.
• Offer technical assistance for program development.
• Build partnerships among families, students, schools, law enforcement, mental health providers, child welfare agencies, health care professionals (e.g., pediatricians and child psychiatrists), higher education institutions, faith-based groups, and community systems to address trauma, mental health, and violence.
• Create ways for children and adolescents to report violence or threats safely.
• Eligibility and Requirements:
• Partnerships must include a state educational agency (overseeing statewide education) or local educational agencies (managing schools in a district), plus at least one community-based mental health provider (e.g., public/private clinics, trauma networks, or family services). Other partners like human services, law enforcement, or child welfare can join.
• Compliance with HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, which protects patient health information privacy) for records and FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, which safeguards student education records).
• Distribution and Oversight: Awards must be equitably spread across U.S. regions, urban, and rural areas. Recipients submit annual data on program outcomes (e.g., improvements in student well-being, family support, and school systems). HHS develops evaluation guidelines and reports results to Congress annually. Up to 20% of funds can go to evaluations. Best practices from programs are shared publicly.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

• Redesignates Part G of Title V in the Public Health Service Act (originally on services through religious organizations) as Part J, and renumbers related sections.
• Replaces Section 581 (previously focused on "children and violence") with a new section titled "School-Based Mental Health; Children and Adolescents," expanding it to cover broader mental health services, trauma supports, and suicide prevention in schools, including those funded by the Bureau of Indian Education.
• Shifts emphasis from violence-specific projects to comprehensive, integrated mental health programs with stronger community partnerships and evaluation requirements.

Potential Impacts

• Government Agencies: Increases coordination between HHS and the Department of Education; requires HHS to manage grant distribution, evaluations, and reporting to Congress, potentially straining administrative resources but enhancing data on mental health outcomes.
• Citizens: Provides better access to mental health support for students (especially in underserved urban, rural, and Native American communities), potentially reducing suicide risks, trauma effects, and violence incidents. Families and communities gain tools for early intervention and reporting.
• International Relations: No direct impacts, as the bill focuses on domestic U.S. school-based programs.

Main Stakeholders Affected

• Students and Adolescents: Primary beneficiaries, gaining access to trauma-informed mental health services in schools.
• Educational Agencies: State and local school districts must partner in programs, affecting curriculum integration and staff training.
• Mental Health and Health Care Providers: Community clinics, psychiatrists, and primary care doctors receive funding opportunities and collaboration mandates.
• Families and Communities: Involved in partnerships for support systems; includes law enforcement, child welfare, faith-based groups, and higher education institutions.
• Tribal Communities: Explicit inclusion of Bureau of Indian Education-funded schools ensures targeted support for Native American youth.

Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications

• Privacy Protections: Mandates HIPAA and FERPA compliance to balance mental health data sharing with individual rights, avoiding potential privacy violations in school settings.
• Equity and Access: Requires equitable geographic distribution, promoting constitutional principles of equal protection by addressing disparities in urban, rural, and minority communities.
• Federalism Considerations: Involves state and local educational agencies in federal grant programs, which could influence how states implement mental health policies without overriding local control.
• Political Neutrality: The bill's bipartisan sponsorship (over 30 representatives from both parties) suggests broad support for youth mental health, potentially easing passage but highlighting ongoing debates on federal funding for education and health services. No major constitutional challenges are evident, as it builds on existing public health authorities.

This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.

Sponsor

Rep. Salinas, Andrea [D-OR-6]

Cosponsors (67)

Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-1], Rep. Barragán, Nanette Diaz [D-CA-44], Rep. Bonamici, Suzanne [D-OR-1], Rep. Brownley, Julia [D-CA-26], Rep. Budzinski, Nikki [D-IL-13], Rep. Carey, Mike [R-OH-15], Rep. Clarke, Yvette D. [D-NY-9], Rep. Cohen, Steve [D-TN-9], Rep. Craig, Angie [D-MN-2], Rep. Dean, Madeleine [D-PA-4], Rep. DelBene, Suzan K. [D-WA-1], Rep. Doggett, Lloyd [D-TX-37], Rep. Frankel, Lois [D-FL-22], Rep. Frost, Maxwell [D-FL-10], Rep. Garcia, Robert [D-CA-42], Rep. Harder, Josh [D-CA-9], Rep. Jackson, Jonathan L. [D-IL-1], Rep. Magaziner, Seth [D-RI-2], Rep. McCollum, Betty [D-MN-4], Rep. Menendez, Robert [D-NJ-8], Rep. Moulton, Seth [D-MA-6], Rep. Mrvan, Frank J. [D-IN-1], Rep. Mullin, Kevin [D-CA-15], Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large], Rep. Pappas, Chris [D-NH-1], Rep. Pingree, Chellie [D-ME-1], Rep. Pocan, Mark [D-WI-2], Rep. Ramirez, Delia C. [D-IL-3], Rep. Ryan, Patrick [D-NY-18], Rep. Titus, Dina [D-NV-1], Rep. Tokuda, Jill N. [D-HI-2], Rep. Torres, Ritchie [D-NY-15], Rep. Scanlon, Mary Gay [D-PA-5], Rep. Scholten, Hillary J. [D-MI-3], Rep. Schneider, Bradley Scott [D-IL-10], Rep. Sorensen, Eric [D-IL-17], Rep. Underwood, Lauren [D-IL-14], Rep. Evans, Dwight [D-PA-3], Rep. Houlahan, Chrissy [D-PA-6], Rep. Tlaib, Rashida [D-MI-12], Rep. Peters, Scott H. [D-CA-50], Rep. Matsui, Doris O. [D-CA-7], Rep. Bacon, Don [R-NE-2], Rep. Gottheimer, Josh [D-NJ-5], Rep. Davids, Sharice [D-KS-3], Rep. Ivey, Glenn [D-MD-4], Rep. McGovern, James P. [D-MA-2], Rep. Khanna, Ro [D-CA-17], Rep. Moore, Gwen [D-WI-4], Rep. Sherrill, Mikie [D-NJ-11] and 17 more

Recent Actions

• 2025-09-23: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
• 2025-09-23: Introduced in House
• 2025-09-23: Introduced in House

Bill Versions

• Mental Health Services for Students Act of 2025 — issued 2025-09-23 — PDF (9 pages)