Sponsors (8)
The bill expands and funds school-based mental health services with clearer provider rules and multi-year grants—improving access for many students—while shifting significant costs and administrative burdens to states and local districts and risking uneven access, provider exclusions, and oversight gaps.
Students (especially in high-need schools) gain substantially increased access to school-based mental health services through clarified provider eligibility and competitive subgrants that fund hiring and services.
Taxpayers and school systems receive a clear federal funding commitment (a $5.0 billion FY2027 appropriation plus allowable future-year funding) and multi-year (5-year) grant cycles that give states predictable resources to plan and sustain mental health programs.
States, LEAs, and community mental health organizations get clearer statutory definitions and explicit eligibility (including community-based providers), which can expand service capacity and reduce ambiguity in who may deliver school mental health supports.
State and local governments and taxpayers face substantial new costs (hiring providers, shifting to recommended staffing ratios, and providing a 20% state match) that may strain budgets and limit participation by poorer states and districts.
Local school systems and communities with limited existing capacity may struggle to implement expanded screening and programs, producing uneven access across districts and administrative strain that diverts staff time from students.
Greater identification of youth mental health needs without simultaneous expansion of treatment capacity could increase demand on healthcare and juvenile justice systems, creating waitlists and service bottlenecks for children and families.
Based on analysis of 5 sections of legislative text.
Authorizes federal grants to states to expand school-based mental health providers at high-need K–12 schools and sets staffing targets, with $5B for FY2027 and matching requirements.
Official title: To effectively staff the high-need public elementary schools and secondary schools of the United States with school-based mental health services providers.
Introduced May 21, 2026 by John W. Mannion · Last progress May 21, 2026
Provides federal grants to states to expand school-based mental health services at high-need elementary and secondary schools by funding recruitment, retention, and contracting for counselors, psychologists, social workers, and other licensed mental health professionals. Authorizes $5 billion for fiscal year 2027 and indefinite "such sums as necessary" thereafter, requires state matching and competitive subgrants to local educational agencies, and sets target student-to-provider staffing ratios.