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The Connecting Students with Mental Health Services Act authorizes the Secretary of Education, working with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, to distribute grants to schools and community health partners for expanding mental and behavioral health services to K-12 students, with special focus on rural areas and communities with limited access to mental health care. Grant funds can be used to establish telehealth programs, purchase equipment and technology, hire staff, and create physical space needed to deliver mental health services in schools. The bill gives funding priority to high-poverty schools, rural schools, and schools in areas with doctor shortages. Schools and health providers must submit detailed plans showing how they'll protect student privacy and can only use the grants to supplement, not replace, existing funding sources. The program must be established within 180 days of the law passing, and Congress will receive a progress report by September 30, 2027, with recommendations for future expansion. The legislation authorizes $5 million annually for fiscal years 2026 through 2029 to support these grants.

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