[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 169 (Tuesday, September 29, 2020)]
[House]
[Pages H5014-H5016]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES FOR STUDENTS ACT OF 2020

  Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 1109) to amend the Public Health Service Act to revise and 
extend projects relating to children and to provide access to school-
based comprehensive mental health programs, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 1109

       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 ``Mental Health Services for 
     Students Act of 2020''.

     SEC. 2. AMENDMENTS TO THE PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE ACT.

       (a) Technical Amendments.--The second part G (relating to 
     services provided through religious organizations) of title V 
     of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 290kk et seq.) is 
     amended--
       (1) by redesignating such part as part J; and
       (2) by redesignating sections 581 through 584 as sections 
     596 through 596C, respectively.
       (b) School-Based Mental Health and Children.--Section 581 
     of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 290hh) (relating 
     to children and violence) is amended to read as follows:

     ``SEC. 581. SCHOOL-BASED MENTAL HEALTH; CHILDREN AND 
                   ADOLESCENTS.

       ``(a) In General.--The Secretary, in consultation with the 
     Secretary of Education, shall, through grants, contracts, or 
     cooperative agreements awarded to eligible entities described 
     in subsection (c), provide comprehensive school-based mental 
     health services and supports to assist children in local 
     communities and schools (including schools funded by the 
     Bureau of Indian Education) dealing with traumatic 
     experiences, grief, bereavement, risk of suicide, and 
     violence. Such services and supports shall be--
       ``(1) developmentally, linguistically, and culturally 
     appropriate;
       ``(2) trauma-informed; and
       ``(3) incorporate positive behavioral interventions and 
     supports.
       ``(b) Activities.--Grants, contracts, or cooperative 
     agreements awarded under subsection (a), shall, as 
     appropriate, be used for--
       ``(1) implementation of school and community-based mental 
     health programs that--
       ``(A) build awareness of individual trauma and the 
     intergenerational, continuum of impacts of trauma on 
     populations;
       ``(B) train appropriate staff to identify, and screen for, 
     signs of trauma exposure, mental health disorders, or risk of 
     suicide; and
       ``(C) incorporate positive behavioral interventions, family 
     engagement, student treatment, and multigenerational supports 
     to foster the health and development of children, prevent 
     mental health disorders, and ameliorate the impact of trauma;
       ``(2) technical assistance to local communities with 
     respect to the development of programs described in paragraph 
     (1);
       ``(3) facilitating community partnerships among families, 
     students, law enforcement agencies, education agencies, 
     mental health and substance use disorder service systems, 
     family-based mental health service systems, child welfare 
     agencies, health care providers (including primary care 
     physicians, mental health professionals, and other 
     professionals who specialize in children's mental health such 
     as child and adolescent psychiatrists), institutions of 
     higher education, faith-based programs, trauma networks, and 
     other community-based systems to address child and adolescent 
     trauma, mental health issues, and violence; and
       ``(4) establishing mechanisms for children and adolescents 
     to report incidents of violence or plans by other children, 
     adolescents, or adults to commit violence.
       ``(c) Requirements.--
       ``(1) In general.--To be eligible for a grant, contract, or 
     cooperative agreement under subsection (a), an entity shall 
     be a partnership that includes--
       ``(A) a State educational agency, as defined in section 
     8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, 
     in coordination with one or more local educational agencies, 
     as defined in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary 
     Education Act of 1965, or a consortium of any entities 
     described in subparagraph (B), (C), (D), or (E) of section 
     8101(30) of such Act; and
       ``(B) at least 1 community-based mental health provider, 
     including a public or private mental health entity, health 
     care entity, family-based mental health entity, trauma 
     network, or other community-based entity, as determined by 
     the Secretary (and which may include additional entities such 
     as a human services agency, law enforcement or juvenile 
     justice entity, child welfare agency, agency, an institution 
     of higher education, or another entity, as determined by the 
     Secretary).
       ``(2) Compliance with hipaa.--Any patient records developed 
     by covered entities through activities under the grant shall 
     meet the regulations promulgated under section 264(c) of the 
     Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996.
       ``(3) Compliance with ferpa.--Section 444 of the General 
     Education Provisions Act (commonly known as the `Family 
     Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974') shall apply to 
     any entity that is a member of the partnership in the same 
     manner that such section applies to an educational agency or 
     institution (as that term is defined in such section).
       ``(d) Geographical Distribution.--The Secretary shall 
     ensure that grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements 
     under subsection (a) will be distributed equitably among the 
     regions of the country and among urban and rural areas.
       ``(e) Duration of Awards.--With respect to a grant, 
     contract, or cooperative agreement under subsection (a), the 
     period during which payments under such an award will be made 
     to the recipient shall be 5 years, with options for renewal.
       ``(f) Evaluation and Measures of Outcomes.--
       ``(1) Development of process.--The Assistant Secretary 
     shall develop a fiscally appropriate process for evaluating 
     activities carried out under this section. Such process shall 
     include--
       ``(A) the development of guidelines for the submission of 
     program data by grant, contract, or cooperative agreement 
     recipients;
       ``(B) the development of measures of outcomes (in 
     accordance with paragraph (2)) to be applied by such 
     recipients in evaluating programs carried out under this 
     section; and
       ``(C) the submission of annual reports by such recipients 
     concerning the effectiveness of programs carried out under 
     this section.
       ``(2) Measures of outcomes.--The Assistant Secretary shall 
     develop measures of outcomes to be applied by recipients of 
     assistance under this section to evaluate the effectiveness 
     of programs carried out under this section, including 
     outcomes related to the student, family, and local 
     educational systems supported by this Act.
       ``(3) Submission of annual data.--An eligible entity 
     described in subsection (c) that receives a grant, contract, 
     or cooperative agreement under this section shall annually 
     submit to the Assistant Secretary a report that includes data 
     to evaluate the success of the program carried out by the 
     entity based on whether such program is achieving the 
     purposes of the program. Such reports shall utilize the 
     measures of outcomes under paragraph (2) in a reasonable 
     manner to demonstrate the progress of the program in 
     achieving such purposes.
       ``(4) Evaluation by assistant secretary.--Based on the data 
     submitted under paragraph (3), the Assistant Secretary shall 
     annually submit to Congress a report concerning the results 
     and effectiveness of the programs carried out with assistance 
     received under this section.
       ``(5) Limitation.--An eligible entity shall use not more 
     than 20 percent of amounts received under a grant under this 
     section to carry out evaluation activities under this 
     subsection.
       ``(g) Information and Education.--The Secretary shall 
     disseminate best practices based on the findings of the 
     knowledge development and application under this section.
       ``(h) Amount of Grants and Authorization of 
     Appropriations.--
       ``(1) Amount of grants.--A grant under this section shall 
     be in an amount that is not more

[[Page H5015]]

     than $2,000,000 for each of the first 5 fiscal years 
     following the date of enactment of the Mental Health Services 
     for Students Act of 2019. The Secretary shall determine the 
     amount of each such grant based on the population of children 
     up to age 21 of the area to be served under the grant.
       ``(2) Authorization of appropriations.--There is authorized 
     to be appropriated to carry out this section, $130,000,000 
     for each of fiscal years 2021 through 2024.''.
       (c) Conforming Amendment.--Part G of title V of the Public 
     Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 290hh et seq.), as amended by 
     subsection (b), is further amended by striking the part 
     designation and heading and inserting the following:

                ``PART G--SCHOOL-BASED MENTAL HEALTH''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
Jersey (Mr. Pallone) and the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Walden) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey.


                             General Leave

  Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous material on H.R. 1109.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New Jersey?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1109, the Mental 
Health Services for Students Act of 2020.
  Research shows that half of all lifetime mental illness begins by the 
age of 14. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 
about three in four children between the ages of 3 and 17 suffer from 
depression and anxiety, and nearly half have behavioral problems. In 
fact, recent data from Mental Health America show that youth between 
the ages of 11 and 17 are now at higher risk of moderate to severe 
anxiety and depression.
  For many students, schools are a critical place to get mental health 
support. Now, with added public health concerns, economic pressures, 
online learning, and the social isolation that comes with these things, 
experts worry about the added repercussions we will be seeing on the 
well-being of students across the country.
  The data and the effect of the pandemic make clear that we must do 
more to invest in preventative mental health services and training in 
schools to give our kids and teens a brighter future.
  The American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on School Health 
recognized the increasing mental health needs of children and 
adolescents when it said that ``school-based mental health services 
offer the potential for prevention efforts as well as intervention 
strategies.'' H.R. 1109 does just that.
  This bill would support comprehensive mental health programs at 
schools across the Nation by encouraging partnerships between State and 
local educational agencies and mental health providers. Funding would 
be made available through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health 
Services Administration to support prevention screening, treatment, and 
development of evidence-based programs for social, emotional, and 
mental and behavioral issues among students. This bill will also help 
us better understand the student, family, and educational outcomes of 
services provided to students.
  Madam Speaker, I want to thank the lead sponsors of this bill, 
Representatives Grace Napolitano and   John Katko, for their leadership 
and their work. I also thank, of course, Ranking Member Walden and the 
members of our committee for their bipartisan support for this bill.
  Madam Speaker, it is critical that we support preventative mental 
health services and training in schools for our kids and teens, 
particularly at a time when mental health risks are exacerbated by the 
COVID-19 pandemic.
  I urge my colleagues to support the bill, and I reserve the balance 
of my time.
  Mr. WALDEN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise in support today of H.R. 1109.
  This is the Mental Health Services for Students Act, and it is 
sponsored by Representatives Napolitano and Katko. This bill authorizes 
the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's Project 
AWARE grants.
  Madam Speaker, these grants support State educational agencies, in 
partnership with State mental health agencies, in increasing awareness 
of mental health issues among school-aged youth, providing training for 
school personnel to detect and respond to mental health issues, and 
connecting students with behavioral health issues and their families to 
needed services.
  By supporting partnerships between the State and local systems to 
promote the healthy development of students, these grants increase 
access to mental health services for school-aged youth, ultimately 
reducing youth violence, substance use disorder, and suicide.
  I am glad we are addressing mental health services for children. 
Their schooling and whole worlds have changed so much over this year. 
It is important that they can easily access mental health services.
  I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
  I don't believe we have any other speakers, Madam Speaker, so I yield 
back the balance of my time.

                              {time}  1545

  Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I urge support for the bill, and I yield 
back the balance of my time.
  Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of my 
bill, H.R. 1109, the Mental Health Services for Students Act. I am 
honored to have authored this bill for over a decade. Although it 
should not have taken this long, today is a historic day in recognizing 
the need for school based mental health resources.
  A mental health crisis is currently unfolding as a result of the 
COVID-19 pandemic. Fear and anxiety about the coronavirus can be 
overwhelming and cause strong emotions for our constituents, especially 
children. The National Institute of Mental Health reports that one in 
five youth already experience some type of mental health disorder. Yet, 
prior to this public health emergency, only 10 percent of children and 
adolescents ages 3 to 17 years old received any treatment or counseling 
from a mental health professional.
  H.R. 1109 acknowledges this problem by providing $130 million in 
competitive grants per year for 5 years for 100 school-based mental 
health programs nationwide. It expands the scope of the Project 
Advancing Wellness and Resilience Education (AWARE) program by 
providing on-site licensed mental health professionals in schools 
across the country.
  Dr. Anthony Fauci, the Director of the National Institute of Allergy 
and Infectious Diseases, testified in May before the Senate HELP 
Committee on the prospect of reopening school buildings and said, ``We 
don't know everything about this virus, and we really better be very 
careful, particularly when it comes to children''. While schools work 
to navigate this pandemic, it is critical that we provide them with the 
resources to create a mental health plan to reach their students during 
this stressful time.
  H.R. 1109 is based on the successful Youth Suicide Prevention Program 
that I helped establish with Pacific Clinics in Los Angeles County in 
2001. Regular classes will eventually resume, and according to the CDC, 
children may feel upset or have other strong emotions after an 
emergency. How a child reacts can vary depending on their age, previous 
experiences, and how that child typically copes with stress. We need to 
ensure the long-term availability of mental health services to ensure a 
bright future for our students, which my bill would help accomplish.
  I would like to thank the many advocates in and outside of Congress 
who have played an integral role in this legislation. H.R. 1109 has 135 
bipartisan co-sponsors and has the support of over 50 mental health 
organizations, as well as local governments and teacher unions.
  Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to support H.R. 1109, the Mental 
Health Services for Students Act, which will help address this ongoing 
children's mental health crisis. It is now time to act on this bill, 
which has had broad support for decades.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1109, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

[[Page H5016]]

  

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