Representative John W. Mannion (NY-22) Introduces Legislation to Strengthen Mental Health Support for Students From Elementary School Through College

WASHINGTON, D.C. - In recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, Representative John W. Mannion (NY-22) today introduced two bills to strengthen mental health support for students of all grade levels, ranging from elementary school through college.   

The ‘Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Act’ would help K-12 schools hire mental health professionals, and the ‘Enhancing Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Through Campus Planning Act’ would help colleges and universities develop comprehensive suicide prevention plans.   

Representative John W. Mannion said, “Every student should have access to trusted adults, trained professionals, and a school community with the resources to address mental health challenges. When young people struggle alone, it is much harder to learn, grow, and reach their full potential. Students should have adequate support and full awareness of available services, and these bicameral bills take meaningful steps to close these gaps in schools and college campuses.”  

Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Act  

The Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Act would establish grant programs to help states and local educational agencies increase access to school-based mental health services providers in high-need schools. The legislation supports efforts to recruit and retain qualified professionals and move schools closer to nationally recommended staffing ratios of 250 students per school counselor, 500 students per school psychologist, and 250 students per school social worker. The bill is sponsored in the Senate by Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR).   

Senator Merkley said, “Mental health care is essential health care. Getting mental health services right where folks are – in school – makes it easy and effective for students, parents, and educators to get the support they need. I’ll keep fighting for a reality in which every child in America has access to quality mental health care."    

The Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Act is endorsed by the following organizations:  

National Association of School Psychologists, American School Counselor Association, National Association of Elementary School Principals, National Association of Secondary School Principals, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, American Federation of Teachers, American Psychological Association, American Mental Health Counselors Association, School Social Work Association of America, International Society of Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurses, Anxiety & Depression Association of America, The Jed Foundation, Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates, Students Engaged in Advancing Texas, Western Youth Services, Postpartum Support International, Boys Town, Girls Inc.  

In addition to Mannion and Merkley, the bill is cosponsored by Representatives Ted Lieu (CA-36), Jahana Hayes (CT-05), Lauren Underwood (IL-14), and Linda Sanchez (CA-38) and Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Chris Coons (D-DE), Dick Durbin (D-IL), John Fetterman (D-PA), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Angus King (I-ME), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Jack Reed (D-RI), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Tina Smith (D-MN), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).   

Representative Ted Lieu (CA-36) said, “Students deserve to feel safe and supported at school. Mental wellbeing is essential to educational success. “It is time that we provide public schools with the resources they need to address the critical shortage of mental health counselors. The Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Act does exactly that.” 

Representative Lauren Underwood (IL-14) said, “When I ask them what they need, young people in our community almost always tell me the same thing: high quality mental health resources at school. It’s a critical support system that is so important to their health and wellbeing. The Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Act will make sure schools have the resources they need to properly support our kids and help them thrive.”

Representative Jahana Hayes (CT-05) said, "Children across the country are facing a mental health crisis and lack the providers to address it. Only half of the approximately 8 million U.S. children with a treatable condition receive care from a qualified mental health professional. It is essential for students to have access to support in school and not be left without care. The Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Act is a crucial step toward addressing the increasing prevalence of mental health issues among K-12 students."

Representative Linda Sanchez (CA-38) said, "Students depend on the critical guidance and resources school counselors provide. Unfortunately, there is a shortage of school counselors, nurses, and social workers, leaving students across the country without critical support. Our bill will ensure every student in America has access to quality counseling and mental health support.”

Enhancing Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Through Campus Planning Act  

The bipartisan, bicameral ‘Enhancing Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Through Campus Planning Act’ would direct the Department of Education, in coordination with the Department of Health and Human Services, to encourage institutions of higher education to develop evidence-based comprehensive campus mental health and suicide prevention plans. The bill aligns federal efforts with guidance from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administrations (SAMHSA)’s Suicide Prevention Resource Center and builds on existing federal mental health and suicide prevention programs. The bill is co-led in the House by U.S. Representative Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) and has a Senate companion led by U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT).  

Representative Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Co-Chair of the Bipartisan Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Task Force, said, “Campus mental health must be treated not as a crisis to manage after a student is already in distress, but as a responsibility to plan for, invest in, and prevent. That is exactly what this bipartisan legislation does. This initiative gives colleges and universities a clear framework to build comprehensive, evidence-based plans that identify risk earlier, connect students to care faster, and create a campus culture where seeking help is supported, not stigmatized. By strengthening coordination between the Department of Education and HHS, we can fill a critical gap and ensure student mental health is met with the seriousness, urgency, and accountability it deserves.”  

The Enhancing Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Through Campus Planning Act is endorsed by the following organizations:  

The Jed Foundation, American Federation of Teachers, American Council on Education, The American Psychological Association, The Kennedy Forum, Inseparable, The Jason Foundation, American Association for Psychoanalysis in Clinical Social Work, Psychotherapy Action Network, Global Alliance for Behavioral Health and Social Justice, Association on Higher Education and Disability, NIRSA,  Association for University and College Counseling Center Directors, American College Health Association, The Hope Center for Student Basic Needs, National Association of Student Personnel Administrators, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Boys Town, NAADAC - The Association for Addiction Professionals, American Association of State Colleges and Universities  

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