[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8981 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 8981

To amend the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act to improve trauma 
   support services and mental health care for children and youth in 
             educational settings, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 10, 2024

   Mrs. Hayes (for herself, Ms. Brown, Ms. Norton, Mrs. Dingell, Mr. 
   Johnson of Georgia, Mr. Krishnamoorthi, Mr. Moulton, Mrs. Watson 
 Coleman, Ms. Salinas, Mr. Thanedar, Ms. Jackson Lee, Ms. Williams of 
  Georgia, and Mrs. Ramirez) introduced the following bill; which was 
        referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act to improve trauma 
   support services and mental health care for children and youth in 
             educational settings, and for other purposes.

    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 ``Supporting Trauma-Informed Education 
Practices Act of 2024''.

SEC. 2. AMENDMENT TO THE SUPPORT FOR PATIENTS AND COMMUNITIES ACT.

    Section 7134 of the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act (42 
U.S.C. 280h-7) is amended to read as follows:

``SEC. 7134. GRANTS TO IMPROVE TRAUMA SUPPORT SERVICES AND MENTAL 
              HEALTH CARE FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH IN EDUCATIONAL 
              SETTINGS.

    ``(a) Authorization of Grants.--
            ``(1) Grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements 
        authorized.--The Secretary, in coordination with the Secretary 
        of Health and Human Services, is authorized to award grants to, 
        or enter into contracts or cooperative agreements with, an 
        eligible entity for the purpose of increasing student, teacher, 
        school leader, and other school personnel access to evidence-
        based trauma support services and mental health services by 
        developing innovative initiatives, activities, or programs to 
        connect schools and local educational agencies, or tribal 
        educational agencies, as applicable, with community trauma-
        informed support and mental health systems, including such 
        systems under the Indian Health Service.
            ``(2) Reservations.--From the total amount appropriated 
        under subsection (l) for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall 
        reserve--
                    ``(A) not more than 3 percent to conduct the 
                evaluation under subsection (f); and
                    ``(B) not more than 2 percent for technical 
                assistance and administration.
    ``(b) Duration.--With respect to a grant, contract, or cooperative 
agreement awarded or entered into under this section, the period during 
which payments under such grant, contract or agreement are made to the 
recipient may not exceed 5 years.
    ``(c) Use of Funds.--An eligible entity that receives or enters 
into a grant, contract, or cooperative agreement under this section 
shall use amounts made available through such grant, contract, or 
cooperative agreement for evidence-based initiatives, activities, or 
programs, which shall include at least 1 of the following:
            ``(1) Enhancing, improving, or developing collaborative 
        efforts between schools, local educational agencies or tribal 
        educational agencies, as applicable, and community mental 
        health and trauma-informed service delivery systems to provide, 
        develop, or improve prevention, referral, treatment, and 
        support services to students.
            ``(2) Implementing trauma-informed models of support, 
        including positive behavioral interventions and supports in 
        schools served by the eligible entity.
            ``(3) Providing professional development to teachers, 
        paraprofessionals, school leaders, school-based mental health 
        services providers, and other specialized instructional support 
        personnel employed by local educational agencies or tribal 
        educational agencies, as applicable or schools served by the 
        eligible entity that--
                    ``(A) fosters safe and stable learning environments 
                that prevent and mitigate the effects of trauma, 
                including through social and emotional learning;
                    ``(B) improves school capacity to identify, refer, 
                and provide services to students in need of trauma-
                informed support or mental health services, including 
                by helping educators to identify the unique personal 
                and contextual variables that influence the 
                manifestation of trauma; and
                    ``(C) reflects the best practices for trauma-
                informed identification, referral, and support 
                developed by the Interagency Task Force on Trauma-
                Informed Care (as established by section 7132).
            ``(4) Providing trauma-informed support services and mental 
        health services to students at full-service community schools 
        served by the eligible entity.
            ``(5) Engaging families and communities to increase 
        awareness of child and youth trauma, which may include sharing 
        best practices with law enforcement regarding trauma-informed 
        services and working with mental health professionals to 
        provide interventions and longer term coordinated care within 
        the community for children and youth who have experienced 
        trauma and the families of such children and youth.
            ``(6) Evaluating the effectiveness of the initiatives, 
        activities, or programs carried out under this section in 
        increasing student access to evidence-based trauma support 
        services and mental health services.
            ``(7) Establishing partnerships with or providing subgrants 
        to early childhood education programs or other eligible 
        entities, to include such entities in the evidence-based 
        trauma-informed or mental health initiatives, activities, and 
        support services established under this section in order to 
        provide, develop, or improve prevention, referral, treatment, 
        and support services to children and their families.
            ``(8) Establishing new, or enhancing existing, evidence-
        based educational, awareness, and prevention programs to 
        improve mental health and resiliency among teachers, 
        paraprofessionals, school leaders, school-based mental health 
        services providers, and other specialized instructional support 
        personnel employed by local educational agencies or tribal 
        educational agencies, as applicable, or schools served by the 
        eligible entity.
    ``(d) Applications.--To be eligible to receive a grant, contract, 
or cooperative agreement under this section, an eligible entity shall 
submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, 
and containing such information as the Secretary may reasonably 
require, which shall include the following:
            ``(1) A description of the innovative initiatives, 
        activities, or programs to be funded under the grant, contract, 
        or cooperative agreement, including how such initiatives, 
        activities, or programs will increase access to evidence-based 
        trauma-informed support services and mental health services for 
        students, and, as applicable, the families of such students.
            ``(2) A description of how the initiatives, activities, or 
        programs will provide linguistically appropriate and culturally 
        competent services.
            ``(3) A description of how the initiatives, activities, or 
        programs will support schools served by the eligible entity in 
        improving school climate in order to support an environment 
        conducive to learning.
            ``(4) An assurance that--
                    ``(A) persons providing services under the 
                initiative, activity, or program funded by the grant, 
                contract, or cooperative agreement are fully licensed 
                or certified to provide such services;
                    ``(B) teachers, school leaders, administrators, 
                school-based mental health services providers and other 
                specialized instructional support personnel, 
                representatives of local Indian Tribes or tribal 
                organizations as appropriate, other school personnel, 
                individuals who have experience receiving mental health 
                services as children, and parents of students 
                participating in services under this section will be 
                engaged and involved in the design and implementation 
                of the services; and
                    ``(C) the eligible entity will comply with the 
                evaluation required under subsection (f).
            ``(5) A description of how the eligible entity will support 
        and integrate existing school-based services at schools served 
        by the eligible entity with the initiatives, activities, or 
        programs funded under this section in order to provide trauma-
        informed support services or mental health services for 
        students, as appropriate.
            ``(6) A description of how the eligible entity will 
        incorporate peer support services into the initiatives, 
        activities, or programs to be funded under this section.
            ``(7) A description of how the eligible entity will ensure 
        that initiatives, activities, or programs funded under this 
        section are accessible to and include students with 
        disabilities.
            ``(8) An assurance that the eligible entity will establish 
        a local interagency agreement under subsection (e) and comply 
        with such agreement.
    ``(e) Interagency Agreements.--
            ``(1) Local interagency agreements.--In carrying out an 
        evidence-based initiative, activity, or program described in 
        subsection (c), an eligible entity that receives a grant, 
        contract, or cooperative agreement under this section, or a 
        designee of such entity, shall establish an interagency 
        agreement between local educational agencies, agencies 
        responsible for early childhood education programs, Head Start 
        agencies (including Early Head Start agencies), juvenile 
        justice authorities, mental health agencies, child welfare 
        agencies, and other relevant agencies, authorities, or entities 
        in the community that will be involved in the provision of 
        services under such initiative, activity, or program.
            ``(2) Contents.--The local interagency agreement required 
        under paragraph (1) shall specify, with respect to each agency, 
        authority, or entity that is a party to such agreement--
                    ``(A) the financial responsibility for any services 
                provided by such entity;
                    ``(B) the conditions and terms of responsibility 
                for such any services, including quality, 
                accountability, and coordination of the services; and
                    ``(C) the conditions and terms of reimbursement of 
                such agencies, authorities, or entities, including 
                procedures for dispute resolution.
    ``(f) Evaluation.--The Secretary shall conduct a rigorous and 
independent evaluation of the initiatives, activities, and programs 
carried out by an eligible entity under this section and disseminate 
evidence-based practices regarding trauma-informed support services and 
mental health services.
    ``(g) Distribution of Awards.--The Secretary shall ensure that 
grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements awarded or entered into 
under this section are equitably distributed among the geographical 
regions of the United States and among tribal, urban, suburban, and 
rural populations.
    ``(h) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section shall be 
construed--
            ``(1) to prohibit an entity involved with an initiative, 
        activity, or program carried out under this section from 
        reporting a crime that is committed by a student to appropriate 
        authorities; or
            ``(2) to prevent Federal, State, local, and tribal law 
        enforcement and judicial authorities from exercising their 
        responsibilities with regard to the application of Federal, 
        State, local, and tribal law to crimes committed by a student.
    ``(i) Supplement, Not Supplant.--Federal funds provided under this 
section shall be used to supplement, and not supplant, other Federal, 
State, or local funds available to carry out the initiatives, 
activities, and programs described in this section.
    ``(j) Consultation Required.--In awarding or entering into grants, 
contracts, and cooperative agreements under this section, the Secretary 
shall, in a timely manner, meaningfully consult with Indian Tribes, 
Regional Corporations, Native Hawaiian Educational Organizations, and 
their representatives to ensure notice of eligibility.
    ``(k) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Early childhood education program.--The term `early 
        childhood education program' has the meaning given such term in 
        section 103 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
        1003).
            ``(2) Eligible entity.--The term `eligible entity' means--
                    ``(A) a State educational agency;
                    ``(B) a local educational agency;
                    ``(C) an Indian Tribe (as defined in section 4 of 
                the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance 
                Act) or their tribal educational agency;
                    ``(D) the Bureau of Indian Education;
                    ``(E) a Regional Corporation;
                    ``(F) a Native Hawaiian educational organization; 
                and
                    ``(G) State, Territory, and Tribal Lead Agencies 
                administering the Child Care and Development Fund as 
                described in section 658D(a) of the Child Care and 
                Development Block Grant Act (42 U.S.C. 9858b(a)).
            ``(3) ESEA terms.--
                    ``(A) The terms `elementary school', `evidence-
                based', `local educational agency', `paraprofessional', 
                `parent', `professional development', `school leader', 
                `secondary school', `Secretary', `specialized 
                instructional support personnel', and `State 
                educational agency' have the meanings given such terms 
                in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary 
                Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
                    ``(B) The term `full-service community school' has 
                the meaning given such term in section 4622 of the 
                Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 
                U.S.C. 7272).
                    ``(C) The term `Native Hawaiian educational 
                organization' has the meaning given such term in 
                section 6207 of the Elementary and Secondary Education 
                Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7517).
                    ``(D) The term `school-based mental health services 
                provider' has the meaning given the term in section 
                4102 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 
                1965 (20 U.S.C. 7112).
            ``(4) Regional corporation.--The term `Regional 
        Corporation' has the meaning given the term in section 3 of the 
        Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. 1602).
            ``(5) School.--The term `school' means a public elementary 
        school or public secondary school.
    ``(l) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section, $50,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2025 through 2029.''.
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