[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9469 Introduced in House (IH)]
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117th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 9469
To authorize a Mental Health Education Grant program to encourage
students to pursue a career as a counselor, social worker, or therapist
in an elementary or secondary school, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
December 8, 2022
Mr. Emmer introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Education and Labor, and in addition to the Committee on
Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the
Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall
within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To authorize a Mental Health Education Grant program to encourage
students to pursue a career as a counselor, social worker, or therapist
in an elementary or secondary school, and for other purposes.
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 ``Student Mental Health Improvement
Act of 2022''.
SEC. 2. MENTAL HEALTH EDUCATION GRANT PROGRAM.
Part A of title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
1070 et seq.) is amended by inserting at the end of subpart 7 the
following:
``Subpart 8--Mental Health Education Grants
``SEC. 420. MENTAL HEALTH EDUCATION GRANT PROGRAM ESTABLISHED.
``(a) Program Authority.--
``(1) Payments required.--The Secretary is authorized to
carry out a Mental Health Education Grant program to pay to
each candidate who is selected by the Secretary, on a
competitive basis, to participate in such program, a Mental
Health Education Grant in the amount of $2,000 for each year
during which that candidate is eligible.
``(2) References.--Grants made under paragraph (1) shall be
known as `Mental Health Education Grants'.
``(3) Authorization.--There are authorized to be
appropriated $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2023 and each
subsequent fiscal year to provide Mental Health Education
Grants in accordance with this subpart.
``(4) Sense of congress.--It is the sense of Congress that
the Mental Health Education Grant program should be funded by
rescinding unused American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law
117-2) funding.
``(b) Distribution of Grants to Candidates.--Payments under this
subpart shall be made, in accordance with regulations promulgated by
the Secretary for such purpose, in such manner as will best accomplish
the purposes of this subpart.
``(c) Reductions in Amount.--
``(1) Part-time students.--In any case where a candidate
attends an eligible institution on less than a full-time basis
(including a candidate who attends an eligible institution on
less than a half-time basis) during any year, the amount of a
grant under this subpart for which that candidate is eligible
shall be reduced in proportion to the degree to which that
candidate is not attending on a full-time basis, in accordance
with a schedule of reductions established by the Secretary for
the purposes of this subpart, computed in accordance with this
subpart. Such schedule of reductions shall be established by
regulation and published in the Federal Register in accordance
with section 482 of this Act.
``(2) No exceeding cost.--The amount of a grant awarded
under this subpart, in combination with Federal student
assistance and other student assistance the candidate may
receive, shall not exceed the cost of attendance (as defined in
section 472) at the eligible institution at which that
candidate is in attendance.
``(d) Period of Eligibility for Grants.--
``(1) In general.--The period during which a candidate may
receive grants under this subpart shall be the period required
for the completion of the first masters course of study related
to a mental health occupation being pursued by the candidate at
the eligible institution at which the candidate is in
attendance, except that--
``(A) any period during which the candidate is
enrolled in a noncredit or remedial course of study as
described in paragraph (2) shall not be counted for the
purpose of this paragraph; and
``(B) the total amount that a candidate may receive
under this subpart shall not exceed $4,000.
``(2) Remedial course.--Nothing in this subpart shall be
construed to exclude from eligibility courses of study which
are noncredit or remedial in nature (including courses in
English language acquisition) which are determined by the
eligible institution to be necessary to help the candidate be
prepared for the pursuit of a first masters degree or, in the
case of courses in English language instruction, to be
necessary to enable the candidate to utilize already existing
knowledge, training, or skills.
``SEC. 421. APPLICATIONS; ELIGIBILITY; SELECTION.
``(a) Applications.--The Secretary shall periodically set dates by
which students shall file applications to complete for grants under
this subpart. Each student desiring to compete for a grant under this
subpart for any year shall file an application containing such
information and assurances as the Secretary may determine necessary to
enable the Secretary to carry out the functions and responsibilities of
this subpart.
``(b) Demonstration of Grant Eligibility.--Each application
submitted under subsection (a) shall contain such information as is
necessary to demonstrate that the applicant is a student who--
``(1) is enrolled at an eligible institution;
``(2) is an eligible student for purposes of section 484;
``(3) is completing coursework and other requirements
necessary to begin a career in a mental health occupation, or
plans to complete such coursework and requirements prior to
graduating; and
``(4) has not obtained a masters degree related to a career
in a mental health occupation before receiving a Mental Health
Education grant.
``(c) Selection.--The Secretary shall award grants under this
subpart competitively on the basis of criteria determined by the
Secretary by regulation.
``SEC. 422. AGREEMENTS TO SERVE.
``(a) Service Agreements.--Each application under section 421(a)
shall contain or be accompanied by an agreement by the applicant that--
``(1) if selected to be a candidate, the applicant will--
``(A) serve full-time in a mental health occupation
for a total of not less than 4 years within 8 years
after completing the course of study for which the
candidate received a Mental Health Education Grant
under this subpart; and
``(B) submit evidence of such employment in the
form of a certification by the State educational agency
or department employing the candidate upon completion
of each year of such service;
``(2) in the event that a candidate is determined to have
failed or refused to carry out such service obligation, the sum
of the amounts of any Mental Health Education Grants received
by such candidate will be treated as a loan and collected from
the candidate in accordance with subsection (b) and the
regulations thereunder; and
``(3) contains, or is accompanied by, a plain-language
disclosure form developed by the Secretary that clearly
describes the nature of the Mental Health Education Grant
award, the service obligation, and the loan repayment
requirements that are the consequence of the failure to
complete the service obligation.
``(b) Repayment for Failure To Complete Service.--
``(1) In general.--In the event that a candidate fails or
refuses to comply with the service obligation in the agreement
under subsection (a), the sum of the amounts of any Mental
Health Education Grants received by such candidate shall, upon
a determination of such a failure or refusal in such service
obligation, be treated as a Federal Direct Unsubsidized
Stafford Loan under part D of title IV, and shall be subject to
repayment, together with interest thereon accruing from the
date the grant is converted to such a Loan, in accordance with
terms and conditions specified by the Secretary in regulations
under this subpart.
``(2) Extenuating circumstances.--The Secretary shall
establish, by regulation, categories of extenuating
circumstances under which a candidate who is unable to fulfill
all or part of the candidate's service obligation may be
excused from fulfilling that portion of the service obligation.
``SEC. 423. DEFINITIONS.
``For the purposes of this subpart:
``(1) Candidate.--The term `candidate' means an individual
who is selected by the Secretary to receive a Mental Health
Education Grant under this subpart.
``(2) Eligible institution.--The term `eligible
institution' means an institution of higher education, as
defined in section 102, that provides a masters degree in a
field related to a mental health occupation.
``(3) ESEA terms.--The terms `elementary school' and
`secondary school' have the meanings given those terms in
section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of
1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
``(4) Mental health occupation.--The term `mental health
occupation' means an occupation that is 1 of the following:
``(A) A mental or behavioral health counselor in an
elementary school or secondary school.
``(B) A social worker in an elementary school or
secondary school.
``(C) A therapist in an elementary school or
secondary school.
``(D) A psychologist in an elementary school or
secondary school.''.
SEC. 3. REFUNDABLE CREDIT FOR SCHOOL COUNSELORS, SOCIAL WORKERS,
THERAPISTS, AND PSYCHOLOGISTS.
(a) In General.--Subpart C of part IV of subchapter A of chapter 1
of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by adding at the end
the following new section:
``SEC. 36C. CREDIT FOR SCHOOL COUNSELORS, SOCIAL WORKERS, THERAPISTS,
AND PSYCHOLOGISTS.
``(a) In General.--In the case of any individual who is a qualified
school-based mental health professional for any taxable year, there
shall be allowed as a credit against the tax imposed by this subtitle
for such taxable year an amount equal to $2,500.
``(b) Qualified School-Based Mental Health Professional.--For
purposes of this section, the term `qualified school-based mental
health professional' means any employee of a school (as defined in
section 62(d)(1)(B)) or school-based health center who provides service
as a mental or behavioral health counselor, social worker, therapist,
or psychologist pursuant to such employment.
``(c) Reduced Credit for Less Than Full-Time Service.--In the case
any qualified school-based mental health professional who performs less
than 1560 hours of service as a counselor, social worker, or therapist
pursuant to the employment described in subsection (b) during any
taxable year, the credit allowed under this section to such individual
for such taxable year shall not exceed the amount which bears the same
ratio to the amount of such credit determined without regard to this
subsection as--
``(1) the number of hours of such service so performed by
such individual during such taxable year, bears to
``(2) 1560.''.
(b) Conforming Amendments.--
(1) Section 6211(b)(4)(A) of the Internal Revenue Code of
1986 is amended by inserting ``36C,'' after ``36B,''.
(2) Paragraph (2) of section 1324(b) of title 31, United
States Code, is amended by inserting ``36C,'' after ``36B,''.
(3) The table of sections for subpart C of part IV of
subchapter A of chapter 1 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986
is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 36B
the following new item:
``Sec. 36C. Credit for school counselors, social workers, therapists,
and psychologists.''.
(c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall
apply to taxable years ending after the date of the enactment of this
Act.
SEC. 4. STUDY AND REPORT.
(a) In General.--Not later than 2 years after the date of the
enactment this Act, the Secretary shall conduct a study to identify--
(1) the elementary schools and secondary schools in each
State with school-based health centers that do not provide
mental health services at such centers;
(2) reasons that such schools do not provide, or are unable
to provide, such services; and
(3) recommendations with respect to ways to increase the
provision of mental health services in such centers.
(b) Report.--Not later than 1 year after conducting the study
required under subsection (a), the Secretary shall submit to Congress a
report containing the findings and recommendations of such study.
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