[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 115 (Thursday, July 11, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4898-S4899]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 2550. Mr. PADILLA submitted an amendment intended to be proposed 
by

[[Page S4899]]

him to the bill S. 4638, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 
2025 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military 
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, 
to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for 
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the end of part I of subtitle F of title V, add the 
     following:

     SEC. 578. PILOT PROGRAM ON PEER-TO-PEER MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT 
                   PROGRAMS AT DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE EDUCATION 
                   ACTIVITY HIGH SCHOOLS.

       (a) In General.--Beginning in the first academic year to 
     begin after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
     Secretary of Defense shall establish and implement a pilot 
     program to assess the feasibility and advisability of 
     establishing peer-to-peer mental health support programs for 
     students in covered DODEA schools.
       (b) Locations.--The Secretary shall carry out the pilot 
     program required by subsection (a) in not fewer than 5 
     covered DODEA schools that the Secretary determines have 
     adequate mental health infrastructure in place to carry out 
     the pilot program, one of which shall be located outside the 
     United States.
       (c) Parental Consent Required.--In carrying out the pilot 
     program required by subsection (a), the Secretary shall 
     ensure that a covered DODEA school participating in the pilot 
     program obtains the consent of the parents of any student who 
     participates in a peer-to-peer mental health support program 
     under the pilot program.
       (d) Termination.--The pilot program required by subsection 
     (a) shall terminate on the date that is 2 years after the 
     commencement of the pilot program.
       (e) Definitions.--In this section:
       (1) Covered dodea school.--The term ``covered DODEA 
     school'' means a high school operated by the Department of 
     Defense Education Activity within or outside the United 
     States.
       (2) High school.--The term ``high school'' has the meaning 
     given that term in section 8101 of the Elementary and 
     Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
       (3) Peer-to-peer mental health support program.--The term 
     ``peer-to-peer mental health support program'' means an 
     evidence-based intervention that trains students to become 
     peer support specialists and provide mental health support to 
     other students.
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