[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3525 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 3525

  To require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to maintain a 
 peer-to-peer support line to provide emotional support, information, 
   brief intervention, and mental health resources to youth who are 
   experiencing stress or who are at risk of, or affected by, mental 
     health disorders, and to establish a grant program for local 
educational agencies to employ school-based mental health coordinators.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           December 14, 2023

 Mr. Casey (for himself and Mr. Brown) introduced the following bill; 
     which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, 
                     Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to maintain a 
 peer-to-peer support line to provide emotional support, information, 
   brief intervention, and mental health resources to youth who are 
   experiencing stress or who are at risk of, or affected by, mental 
     health disorders, and to establish a grant program for local 
educational agencies to employ school-based mental health coordinators.

    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 All Students Act''.

SEC. 2. YOUTH PEER-TO-PEER SUPPORT LINE.

    Title V of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 290aa et seq.) 
is amended by inserting after section 520E-4 the following:

``SEC. 520E-5. YOUTH PEER-TO-PEER SUPPORT LINE.

    ``(a) In General.--The Secretary, acting through the Assistant 
Secretary, shall maintain, directly or by grant or contract, a national 
peer-to-peer support line, administered through the 988 Suicide and 
Crisis Lifeline maintained pursuant to section 520E-3(b)(2), to provide 
emotional support, information, brief intervention, and mental health 
resources to youth who are experiencing stress or are at risk of, or 
affected by, mental health disorders.
    ``(b) Requirements for Peer-to-Peer Support Line.--The peer-to-peer 
support line under subsection (a) shall--
            ``(1) be a real-time line that is available 24 hours a day, 
        7 days a week, with adult staff responding to calls, texts, and 
        messages during the hours in which youth peers are not 
        available;
            ``(2) provide support through voice, text, and chat 
        functions;
            ``(3) be accessible directly through a phone line and web 
        interface that is specific to the peer-to-peer support line, as 
        well as through referrals from the 988 Suicide and Crisis 
        Lifeline; and
            ``(4) be staffed by trained youth peers, supervised by 
        licensed health care professionals or licensed mental health 
        professionals who are trained in--
                    ``(A) youth mental health disorder prevention and 
                intervention;
                    ``(B) providing support to help school-age youth 
                and young adults cope with stress, including stress 
                related to academics, athletics, financial or health 
                challenges, interpersonal relationships, social 
                isolation, social media, and bullying or cyberbullying;
                    ``(C) providing culturally and linguistically 
                appropriate support; and
                    ``(D) providing mental health peer support services 
                to meet the specific needs of youth, including the 
                needs of--
                            ``(i) underserved populations;
                            ``(ii) people with disabilities; and
                            ``(iii) foster youth and former foster 
                        youth.
    ``(c) Additional Requirements.--In maintaining the peer-to-peer 
support line under subsection (a), the Secretary shall--
            ``(1) consult with the Domestic Violence Hotline to ensure 
        that youth are connected in real-time to the appropriate 
        specialized hotline service, when applicable;
            ``(2) conduct a public awareness campaign for the peer-to-
        peer support line; and
            ``(3) consult with Federal departments and agencies to 
        increase awareness regarding the peer-to-peer support line.
    ``(d) Annual Report.--The Secretary shall submit an annual report 
to Congress on the peer-to-peer support line under subsection (a) and 
implementation of this section, including--
            ``(1) an evaluation of the effectiveness of activities 
        conducted or supported under subsection (a);
            ``(2) a directory of entities or organizations to which 
        staff maintaining the peer-to-peer support line funded under 
        this section may make referrals; and
            ``(3) such additional information as the Secretary 
        determines appropriate.
    ``(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--To carry out this section, 
there are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary 
for each of fiscal years 2024 through 2029.''.

SEC. 3. SCHOOL-BASED MENTAL HEALTH COORDINATORS GRANT PROGRAM.

    (a) Local Educational Agency Definition.--In this section the term 
``local educational agency'' has the meaning given that term in section 
8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
7801).
    (b) Program Authorized.--The Secretary of Education, in 
consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, shall 
award grants, on a competitive basis, to local educational agencies to 
enable local educational agencies to recruit and employ mental health 
coordinators who are not licensed to provide mental health counseling 
or psychological services, who can support the work of licensed mental 
health professionals, in accordance with subsection (d).
    (c) Application; Priority.--
            (1) Application.--A local educational agency desiring a 
        grant under this section shall submit an application to the 
        Secretary of Education at such time, in such manner, and 
        containing such information as the Secretary of Education may 
        reasonably require.
            (2) Priority.--In selecting local educational agencies for 
        an award under this section, the Secretary of Education shall 
        give priority to local educational agencies that serve schools 
        located in high-poverty communities.
    (d) Authorized Activities.--A local educational agency receiving a 
grant under this section shall use grant funds to recruit and employ 
mental health coordinators who are not licensed to provide mental 
health counseling or psychological services, who can partner with 
licensed mental health professionals to extend mental health support to 
all students. Those mental health coordinators shall carry out the 
following activities at schools served by the local educational agency:
            (1) Providing information about school and community-based 
        wellness and mental health resources to students, parents, 
        faculty, and staff.
            (2) Working with licensed mental health professionals to 
        identify and regularly meet with students who are experiencing 
        stress, social isolation, family instability, homelessness, or 
        other adverse childhood experiences.
            (3) Supporting students in strengthening their social 
        support network and increasing their access to, and engagement 
        in, positive activities.
            (4) Establishing relationships with community-based mental 
        health providers, including child and adolescent therapists, 
        family therapists, neuropsychologists, and child and adolescent 
        psychiatrists, and facilitating the transition from school- to 
        community-based care as needed.
            (5) Providing information about community-based resources 
        available to support basic needs, such as housing and 
        nutrition.
    (e) Technical Assistance.--The Secretary shall disseminate 
information regarding the grant program under subsection (b) to local 
educational agencies, including those serving high-poverty communities, 
and provide technical assistance to local educational agencies 
regarding an application under subsection (c)(1).
    (f) Authorization of Appropriations.--To carry out this section, 
there are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary 
for each of fiscal years 2024 through 2029.
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