[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3771 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3771

 To establish a multiagency Middle School Mental Health Task Force at 
  the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human 
                               Services.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 31, 2023

    Mr. Kean of New Jersey introduced the following bill; which was 
   referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and in 
 addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be 
subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration 
  of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 
                               concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To establish a multiagency Middle School Mental Health Task Force at 
  the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human 
                               Services.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Health Minds for a Better Future 
Act''.

SEC. 2. MIDDLE SCHOOL MENTAL HEALTH TASK FORCE.

    (a) In General.--There is established a multiagency Middle School 
Mental Health Task Force (referred to in this section as the ``Task 
Force'') at the Department of Education and the Department of Health 
and Human Services to study and survey the resources that are available 
to parents and educators to identify and help middle-school aged 
students that may be experiencing mental health issues.
    (b) Members.--
            (1) In general.--The Task Force established under 
        subsection (a) shall consist of 12 members including--
                    (A) the Secretary of Education;
                    (B) the Secretary of Health and Human Services;
                    (C) a representative of an association of school 
                administration relating to middle school or high 
                schools appointed by the Secretary of Education;
                    (D) a representative of an association working for 
                childhood mental health appointed by the Secretary of 
                Education;
                    (E) one school counselor or educator from each 
                United States region, including--
                            (i) the Northeastern region (consisting of 
                        Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, 
                        Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, 
                        Pennsylvania, and New Jersey);
                            (ii) the Midwestern region (consisting of 
                        Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, 
                        Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, 
                        Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa);
                            (iii) the Western region (consisting of 
                        Montana, Washington, Oregon, California, 
                        Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, 
                        Wyoming, Idaho, Alaska, and Hawaii); and
                            (iv) the Southern region (consisting of 
                        Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, 
                        Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, South 
                        Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, 
                        West Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and 
                        Virginia); and
                    (F) one parent of a middle school student (from a 
                public or private secondary school) from each region 
                listed in subparagraphs (A) through (D) of paragraph 
                (6).
            (2) Application process.--Each member of the Task Force 
        described in subparagraphs (E) and (F) of paragraph (1) shall 
        be selected through an annual application process determined by 
        the Secretary of Education.
            (3) Prohibition on compensation.--Each member of the Task 
        Force shall serve on the Task Force without pay.
            (4) Length of service.--Each member of the Task Force shall 
        serve on the Task Force for 2 calendar years.
    (c) Chairperson.--The Chairperson of the Task Force shall be 
elected by a majority vote of the members of the Commission. The term 
of office of the Chairperson may not exceed 2 years.
    (d) Meetings.--
            (1) In general.--The Task Force shall meet twice a year at 
        the call of the Chairperson or the majority of the members of 
        the Task Force.
            (2) Quorum.--Three-fourths of the members of the Task Force 
        shall constitute a quorum but a lesser number may hold 
        hearings.
    (e) Prohibition on Additional Personnel.--The Task Force shall not 
be entitled to appoint additional personnel.
    (f) No Subpoena Power.--The Task Force may not issue subpoenas.
    (g) Experts.--The Task Force may procure temporary and intermittent 
services under section 3109(b) of title 5, United States Code, but at 
rates for individuals not to exceed the annual rate of basic pay for 
GS-10 of the General Schedule.
    (h) Contract Authority.--To the extent or in the amounts provided 
in advance in appropriation Acts, the Task Force may contract with and 
compensate government and private agencies or persons for certain 
services relating to the work of the Task Force.
    (i) Study and Annual Report.--The Task Force shall--
            (1) study that resources (including online platforms, 
        professional mental health services providers, community mental 
        health providers, and any other tools or resources to address 
        mental health) available to secondary school educators 
        (including educators in the middle grades) and parents for 
        helping a student who is experiencing mental health issues; and
            (2) submit to the Committee on Education and the Workforce 
        of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Health, 
        Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate, an annual report 
        on the results of the study conducted under paragraph (1).
    (j) Definitions.--In this Act, the terms ``middle grades'' and 
``secondary school'' have the meanings given the terms in section 8101 
of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
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