To effectively staff the high-need public elementary schools and secondary schools of the United States with school-based mental health services providers.
About This Bill
Committee
Latest Action · May 23, 2024
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
The Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Act provides federal grants to states to hire and retain school counselors, psychologists, and social workers in high-need public schools across the country. The bill addresses a documented mental health crisis among youth, noting that one in five adolescents has or will have a serious mental illness and that 37 percent of students with mental health conditions drop out of school. States that receive grants must match 20 percent of the federal funding and award subgrants to local school districts, with priority given to schools serving large numbers of low-income students. The legislation aims to help schools reach recommended staffing ratios of one counselor per 250 students, one psychologist per 500 students, and one social worker per 250 students. The bill authorizes $5 billion for fiscal year 2025 and subsequent funding as needed, with grants provided for five-year periods that can be renewed based on demonstrated progress.
Take Action
Your position
Add a comment
to comment on this bill.
Annotate the text
Highlight any passage on the Summary or Full Text tab to attach a note. Annotations appear on the Annotations tab.