Text of Senate Amendment 6054

Quick facts

Record: Senate Floor
Section type: Amendments
Chamber: Senate
Date: June 24, 2026
Congress: 119th Congress
Why this source matters: This section came from the Senate floor portion of the record.

Readable version of the official text

SA 6054. Mr. PADILLA (for himself and Mr. Tillis) submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill S. 4784, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2027 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

At the end of part I of subtitle F of title V, insert the

following:

SEC. 553. PILOT PROGRAM FOR ROUTINE MENTAL WELLNESS

SCREENINGS IN SCHOOLS OPERATED BY THE

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE EDUCATION ACTIVITY.

(a) Requirement.—Beginning not later than one year after

the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall

establish and implement a pilot program to provide

developmentally appropriate, nondiagnostic mental wellness

screenings for all students in grades 6 through 12 enrolled

in covered DoDEA schools. Such screenings shall include the

identification of internalizing concerns, such as anxiety and

depression, suicidal thoughts, and suicidal behaviors, for

the limited purposes of early identification of distress,

referral to existing supports, and prevention, consistent

with existing school-based health and wellness practices.

(b) Timing of Screenings.—Screenings conducted under the

pilot program required by subsection (a) shall be offered—

(1) annually, aligned with existing student health

screening schedules; and

(2) at key educational transition points or other periods

of heightened stress, including

transitions into a new school or grade span resulting from a

permanent change in station, as determined appropriate by the

Secretary.

the pilot program required by subsection (a) shall—

(1) use validated, reliable, and age-appropriate screening

tools, with preference given to tools that are free or

available at minimal cost;

(2) include general questions related to emotional

wellbeing, stress, mood, and functional concerns, including

questions designed to detect internalizing symptoms and risk

for suicidal thoughts or suicidal behaviors; and

(3) be designed to identify potential need for additional

support rather than to diagnose mental health conditions.

(d) Selection of Schools.—The Secretary shall select three

covered DoDEA schools to participate in the pilot program

required by subsection (a), one from each of geographic

region of the Department of Defense Education Activity.

(e) Administration and Oversight.—

(1) In general.—Screenings conducted under the pilot

program required by subsection (a)—

(A) may be completed by students independently using

school-issued devices during noninstructional or

noncurricular time, such as a homeroom period, advisory

period, study hall, or other designated setting, in a quiet,

structured school environment and consistent with school

policies; and

(B) shall be administered through school-approved platforms

or systems that allow secure collection, storage, and access

to screening information in accordance with applicable

privacy laws.

(2) Oversight.—Nurses, counselors, psychologists, or other

appropriately trained personnel at covered DoDEA schools, in

coordination with existing medical, educational, and student

support systems of the Department of Defense, shall be

responsible for oversight of—

(A) administration of screenings conducted under the pilot

program required by subsection (a);

(B) review and interpretation of results of such

screenings; and

(3) Use of funds.—Funds made available to carry out this

section may be used to support training, professional

development, and technical assistance to ensure screenings

conducted under the pilot program required by subsection (a)

are administered appropriately, ethically, and in accordance

with evidence-informed, school-based practices, using

existing personnel and systems to the maximum extent

practicable.

(f) Parental Rights and Communication.—In carrying out the

pilot program required by subsection (a), the Secretary

shall—

(1) require advance written notification to parents or

legal guardians describing the preventive, nondiagnostic

purpose, general content, and intended use of the screenings

conducted under the pilot program;

(2) ensure the screenings are administered on an opt-out

basis, requiring parents or guardians to acknowledge receipt

of the notification under paragraph (1) and to allow or

prevent the participation of their children without penalty,

stigma, or adverse consequence; and

(3) ensure parents or legal guardians are notified when

screening results indicate a need for follow-up support, or

upon request, with guidance on available resources available

in the community or through the Department of Defense

Education Activity.

(g) Use and Limitations.—Screenings conducted under the

pilot program required by subsection (a)—

(1) shall be designed to be age-appropriate, nondiagnostic,

and sufficiently brief to be completed within a single

noninstructional school period; and

(2) may not—

(A) be used for disciplinary, evaluative, punitive, or

diagnostic purposes;

(B) require or constitute curriculum, instruction, lesson

plans, classroom teaching, or educational programming of any

kind; or

existing legal requirements.

(h) Privacy Protections.—All data generated by screenings

conducted under the pilot program required by subsection

(a)—

(1) shall be treated as confidential student information

and protected in accordance with applicable Federal privacy

laws, including the protection of education records under

section 552a of title 5, United States Code (commonly known

as the “Privacy Act”), and applicable privacy regulations

of the Department of Defense; and

(2) may be accessed and reviewed only by appropriate

personnel of a DoDEA covered school with a legitimate

educational interest for purposes of student support, safety,

and follow-up.

(i) Evaluation and Reporting.—

(1) Biannual evaluations.—Not later than 180 days after

the date on which the pilot program required by subsection

(a) commences, and every 180 days thereafter under the

termination date under subsection (k), the Secretary shall

evaluate the pilot program to assess—

(A) the feasibility and ease of implementation of the pilot

program;

(B) participation and opt-out rates;

systems and efforts to reduce redundancy; and

(D) indicators of student wellbeing, aggregated in a manner

that ensures that the students are not identifiable.

(2) Report required.—Not later than one year before the

termination under subsection (k) of the pilot program

required by subsection (a), the Secretary shall submit to the

Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and House of

Representatives a report—

(A) summarizing the findings from evaluations conducted

under paragraph (1);

(B) assessing the cost effectiveness of the pilot program;

program; and

(D) making recommendations regarding potential expansion of

the pilot program.

(j) Rules of Construction.—Nothing in this section shall

be construed to prevent personnel of a covered DoDEA school

from—

(1) taking appropriate action, including immediate action,

when necessary, consistent with existing school safety, duty-

of-care, or student support protocols; or

(2) notifying the parents or legal guardians of a student

when follow-up is indicated by the results of a screening

conducted under the pilot program required by subsection (a)

or upon the request of the parents or legal guardians.

(k) Termination.—The pilot program required by subsection

(a) shall terminate on the date that is 3 years after the

program is implemented.

(l) Definitions.—In this section:

(1) Covered dodea school.—The term “covered DoDEA

school” means an elementary or secondary school operated by

the Department of Defense Education Activity, within or

outside the United States.

(2) Secretary.—The term “Secretary” means the Secretary

of Defense, acting through the Director of the Department of

Defense Education Activity.

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