Sponsors (5)
The bill expands federal support to place and improve school social work in high-need districts—likely boosting mental health supports for many students—but requires new federal spending, uses a competitive grant model and qualification rules that may leave some districts behind and raise administrative and hiring costs.
Students in high-need K–12 schools will get increased access to school social workers, improving mental health supports, counseling, crisis intervention, and school attendance.
High-need LEAs will receive dedicated federal support — competitive grants, technical assistance, and funding ($100M/year, 2026–2030) — to hire and retain school social workers rather than relying solely on local budgets.
LEAs and states will get targeted training, data, and technical assistance (including development of tribal and statewide strategies) to build and sustain a school social work workforce and tailor services to local needs.
The program increases federal spending (including $100M/year for grants plus costs to establish/operate a national center), creating opportunity costs for taxpayers and other federal/state priorities.
Using competitive grants risks uneven access: some high-need LEAs may not win awards and therefore students in those districts could be left without enhanced services.
Grant rules (supplement, not supplant) and additional reporting/accounting create administrative burdens for LEAs with limited capacity, potentially diverting staff time from service delivery.
Based on analysis of 6 sections of legislative text.
Creates grants and a national resource center to hire and retain MSW‑credentialed school social workers, sets target ratios, and authorizes $100M/year for FY2026–2030.
Introduced March 4, 2026 by Gwendolynne S. Moore · Last progress March 4, 2026
Creates a federal competitive grant program and a national resource center to help high‑need school districts hire and retain school social workers. The grants prioritize achieving targeted school social worker‑to‑student ratios, require social workers to hold a Master of Social Work (MSW) from a CSWE‑accredited program plus applicable state or local credentialing, and authorize $100 million per year for fiscal years 2026–2030. The resource center will gather data, share best practices, develop workforce strategies, and provide technical assistance to support hiring and retention.