Sponsors (3)
The bill expands evidence-based peer mental health supports in secondary schools with federal funding and evaluation to improve early help and build evidence, while imposing additional public costs, compliance burdens on districts, and limited direct eligibility for some community providers.
Students in participating secondary schools gain access to evidence-based peer mental health support programs overseen by school mental health professionals, improving early identification and access to help.
Students and state/local education agencies will have systematic measurement and evaluation of student mental health outcomes, producing data to inform improvements and potential scale-up of effective models.
Participating schools and districts receive technical assistance and best-practice guidance to implement effective peer support models, increasing the likelihood of successful program adoption and fidelity.
Taxpayers and state governments may face additional federal costs for grants, evaluation, and technical assistance funded through FY2029, increasing public spending.
Schools and districts must ensure student records are protected under FERPA when collecting program data, creating additional administrative burden and compliance costs for local education agencies.
Nonprofits and community-based organizations may be excluded from direct eligibility if grants are limited to states, subdivisions, territories, and tribal entities, potentially restricting some local service providers' access to funding.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Creates a competitive federal pilot grant program funding evidence-based peer mental health supports in secondary schools, with oversight, evaluation, and a sunset in 2029.
Introduced September 15, 2025 by Donald Sternoff Beyer · Last progress September 15, 2025
Creates a federal competitive pilot grant program to fund evidence-based peer mental health support activities for secondary school students. Grants may go to states, local education agencies, territories, and Indian tribes/tribal organizations to implement and train peer-support programs that are overseen by a school-based mental health professional and that protect student education records. The program requires applicants to measure and evaluate student mental health outcomes and connection to professional services; the Department of Health and Human Services (in consultation with Education) must evaluate the pilot, provide technical assistance, share best practices, and report findings to Congress. The authority to run the pilot ends on September 30, 2029, and actual funding would require future appropriations.