[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 106 (Wednesday, June 24, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3261-S3262]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 6054. Mr. PADILLA (for himself and Mr. Tillis) submitted an
amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill S. 4784, to
authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2027 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, insert the
following:
SEC. 553. PILOT PROGRAM FOR ROUTINE MENTAL WELLNESS
SCREENINGS IN SCHOOLS OPERATED BY THE
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE EDUCATION ACTIVITY.
(a) Requirement.--Beginning not later than one year after
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall
establish and implement a pilot program to provide
developmentally appropriate, nondiagnostic mental wellness
screenings for all students in grades 6 through 12 enrolled
in covered DoDEA schools. Such screenings shall include the
identification of internalizing concerns, such as anxiety and
depression, suicidal thoughts, and suicidal behaviors, for
the limited purposes of early identification of distress,
referral to existing supports, and prevention, consistent
with existing school-based health and wellness practices.
(b) Timing of Screenings.--Screenings conducted under the
pilot program required by subsection (a) shall be offered--
(1) annually, aligned with existing student health
screening schedules; and
(2) at key educational transition points or other periods
of heightened stress, including
[[Page S3262]]
transitions into a new school or grade span resulting from a
permanent change in station, as determined appropriate by the
Secretary.
(c) Screening Characteristics.--Screenings conducted under
the pilot program required by subsection (a) shall--
(1) use validated, reliable, and age-appropriate screening
tools, with preference given to tools that are free or
available at minimal cost;
(2) include general questions related to emotional
wellbeing, stress, mood, and functional concerns, including
questions designed to detect internalizing symptoms and risk
for suicidal thoughts or suicidal behaviors; and
(3) be designed to identify potential need for additional
support rather than to diagnose mental health conditions.
(d) Selection of Schools.--The Secretary shall select three
covered DoDEA schools to participate in the pilot program
required by subsection (a), one from each of geographic
region of the Department of Defense Education Activity.
(e) Administration and Oversight.--
(1) In general.--Screenings conducted under the pilot
program required by subsection (a)--
(A) may be completed by students independently using
school-issued devices during noninstructional or
noncurricular time, such as a homeroom period, advisory
period, study hall, or other designated setting, in a quiet,
structured school environment and consistent with school
policies; and
(B) shall be administered through school-approved platforms
or systems that allow secure collection, storage, and access
to screening information in accordance with applicable
privacy laws.
(2) Oversight.--Nurses, counselors, psychologists, or other
appropriately trained personnel at covered DoDEA schools, in
coordination with existing medical, educational, and student
support systems of the Department of Defense, shall be
responsible for oversight of--
(A) administration of screenings conducted under the pilot
program required by subsection (a);
(B) review and interpretation of results of such
screenings; and
(C) follow-up actions, as appropriate.
(3) Use of funds.--Funds made available to carry out this
section may be used to support training, professional
development, and technical assistance to ensure screenings
conducted under the pilot program required by subsection (a)
are administered appropriately, ethically, and in accordance
with evidence-informed, school-based practices, using
existing personnel and systems to the maximum extent
practicable.
(f) Parental Rights and Communication.--In carrying out the
pilot program required by subsection (a), the Secretary
shall--
(1) require advance written notification to parents or
legal guardians describing the preventive, nondiagnostic
purpose, general content, and intended use of the screenings
conducted under the pilot program;
(2) ensure the screenings are administered on an opt-out
basis, requiring parents or guardians to acknowledge receipt
of the notification under paragraph (1) and to allow or
prevent the participation of their children without penalty,
stigma, or adverse consequence; and
(3) ensure parents or legal guardians are notified when
screening results indicate a need for follow-up support, or
upon request, with guidance on available resources available
in the community or through the Department of Defense
Education Activity.
(g) Use and Limitations.--Screenings conducted under the
pilot program required by subsection (a)--
(1) shall be designed to be age-appropriate, nondiagnostic,
and sufficiently brief to be completed within a single
noninstructional school period; and
(2) may not--
(A) be used for disciplinary, evaluative, punitive, or
diagnostic purposes;
(B) require or constitute curriculum, instruction, lesson
plans, classroom teaching, or educational programming of any
kind; or
(C) be used to mandate treatment or referral beyond
existing legal requirements.
(h) Privacy Protections.--All data generated by screenings
conducted under the pilot program required by subsection
(a)--
(1) shall be treated as confidential student information
and protected in accordance with applicable Federal privacy
laws, including the protection of education records under
section 552a of title 5, United States Code (commonly known
as the ``Privacy Act''), and applicable privacy regulations
of the Department of Defense; and
(2) may be accessed and reviewed only by appropriate
personnel of a DoDEA covered school with a legitimate
educational interest for purposes of student support, safety,
and follow-up.
(i) Evaluation and Reporting.--
(1) Biannual evaluations.--Not later than 180 days after
the date on which the pilot program required by subsection
(a) commences, and every 180 days thereafter under the
termination date under subsection (k), the Secretary shall
evaluate the pilot program to assess--
(A) the feasibility and ease of implementation of the pilot
program;
(B) participation and opt-out rates;
(C) the extent to which the pilot program uses existing
systems and efforts to reduce redundancy; and
(D) indicators of student wellbeing, aggregated in a manner
that ensures that the students are not identifiable.
(2) Report required.--Not later than one year before the
termination under subsection (k) of the pilot program
required by subsection (a), the Secretary shall submit to the
Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and House of
Representatives a report--
(A) summarizing the findings from evaluations conducted
under paragraph (1);
(B) assessing the cost effectiveness of the pilot program;
(C) assessing the efficiency of implementing the pilot
program; and
(D) making recommendations regarding potential expansion of
the pilot program.
(j) Rules of Construction.--Nothing in this section shall
be construed to prevent personnel of a covered DoDEA school
from--
(1) taking appropriate action, including immediate action,
when necessary, consistent with existing school safety, duty-
of-care, or student support protocols; or
(2) notifying the parents or legal guardians of a student
when follow-up is indicated by the results of a screening
conducted under the pilot program required by subsection (a)
or upon the request of the parents or legal guardians.
(k) Termination.--The pilot program required by subsection
(a) shall terminate on the date that is 3 years after the
program is implemented.
(l) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Covered dodea school.--The term ``covered DoDEA
school'' means an elementary or secondary school operated by
the Department of Defense Education Activity, within or
outside the United States.
(2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Defense, acting through the Director of the Department of
Defense Education Activity.
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