Connecting Students with Mental Health Services Act

The Connecting Students with Mental Health Services Act would authorize the Secretary of Education, in coordination with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, to award grants to eligible entities to support elementary and secondary students’ mental and behavioral health, with a focus on rural areas and populations with limited access to services. Grants are awarded to partnerships between a local educational agency (or a consortium of such agencies) and a community health care provider or educational service agency. Funds may be used to establish or enhance telehealth-based mental health services in schools (including equipment, space, and staff to administer the program) and must include a plan and privacy safeguards for student information. The act prioritizes high-poverty, rural, and health professional shortage area schools. The program would be set up within 180 days of enactment, would supplement—not replace—existing funding, and would require a joint Ed/HHS report to Congress by September 30, 2027 analyzing uptake and impact and offering recommendations for future improvements. The bill appropriates $5 million per year for 2026–2029.