The Connecting Students with Mental Health Services Act would authorizes grants to the Department of Education, in coordination with the Department of Health and Human Services, to support mental and behavioral health services for elementary and secondary students. The program targets schools in rural areas or those with limited access to mental health resources and is designed to fund telehealth-based care that can reach students where they are.
Eligible entities are partnerships between local educational agencies (or consortia) and a community health care provider or educational service agency.
Funds may be used to buy or upgrade telehealth equipment, provide space and personnel to support telehealth services in schools, and hire staff to administer the program. Applications must include a plan detailing the telehealth services and assurances that student data will be handled in accordance with privacy laws.
Prioritization goes to applicants serving high-poverty, rural, or Health Professional Shortage Area schools. The program would be established within 180 days of enactment, with federal funds supplementing rather than replacing existing funding, and a joint report due to Congress in 2027 analyzing impact and offering recommendations for future action.
At a Glance
What It Does
Establishes a grant program administered by the Education Department (with Health and Human Services input) to support telehealth-based mental health services in elementary and secondary schools.
Who It Affects
Eligible entities include partnerships between local educational agencies and a community health care provider or educational service agency, focusing on students in rural or high-poverty districts.
Why It Matters
Expands access to mental health care for school-aged children, enabling early intervention via telehealth, particularly where access is limited by geography or resources.
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What This Bill Actually Does
The bill creates a federally funded grant program to help schools deliver mental and behavioral health services through telehealth. It targets elementary and secondary students in rural or resource-poor areas by directing funds to eligible partnerships between school districts and community health providers or educational service agencies.
Grants may cover telehealth equipment, facilities to host the service, and staff to run the program, with a requirement that applications include a concrete telehealth plan and privacy safeguards for student data. Priority goes to high-poverty and rural schools or those in health professional shortage areas.
The program must be stood up within 180 days of enactment, and funds are intended to supplement existing funding rather than replace it. A joint Education-HHS report due in 2027 will assess impact and recommend future improvements.
The Five Things You Need to Know
The bill creates a grant program for telehealth-based student mental health services.
Grants can cover equipment, space, and staffing necessary for telehealth in schools.
Priority is given to high-poverty, rural, or Health Professional Shortage Area schools.
Authorized funding is $5 million annually from 2026–2029.
A joint report by Education and HHS is due by Sept. 30, 2027, with impact analysis and recommendations.
Section-by-Section Breakdown
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General grant program for school mental health telehealth
The bill establishes a program in which the Secretary of Education, in coordination with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, awards grants to eligible entities to support the mental and behavioral health of students in elementary and secondary schools, with special emphasis on rural and underserved communities.
Use of funds
Grants may be used to acquire or upgrade telehealth equipment (including technology and related tools) and to create or maintain spaces and personnel necessary to deliver telehealth-based mental health care in schools. The funding may also support hiring or increasing compensation for staff who administer and operate the telehealth program.
Application requirements
Eligible entities must submit an application detailing a telehealth plan to deliver mental health services and assurances that student data will be handled in compliance with applicable privacy laws. The plan should demonstrate feasibility, sustainability, and alignment with existing school health services.
Priority criteria
Grant awards prioritize applicants that serve high-poverty elementary and secondary schools, rural districts, or schools located in Health Professional Shortage Areas, ensuring that the most underserved students gain access to services.
Timing to establish program
The Secretary of Education must establish the grant program not later than 180 days after enactment, ensuring a timely path to funding for eligible entities.
Supplement, not supplant
Funds awarded under this section must supplement and not supplant other Federal, state, or local funds allocated for related school health activities.
Reporting requirement
By Sept. 30, 2027, the Education and HHS secretaries must jointly report to Congress on the program’s impact—measuring telehealth-based student health service delivery while protecting individual privacy—and offer recommendations for reauthorization or expansion.
Definitions
Key terms are defined, including ‘eligible entity’ (a partnership between a local educational agency or consortium and a community health care provider or educational service agency) and ‘telehealth’ (remote health care and related services via electronic information and telecommunications technologies).
Authorization of appropriations
The bill authorizes $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2029 to carry out this section, establishing a dedicated funding stream for the program.
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Explore Education in Codify Search →Who Benefits and Who Bears the Cost
Every bill creates winners and losers. Here's who stands to gain and who bears the cost.
Who Benefits
- Students in rural or high-poverty districts gain access to mental health evaluation and care via in-school telehealth services, enabling earlier intervention.
- Local educational agencies and school districts can expand health services without relocating clinics or relying solely on on-site staff.
- Community health care providers partnering with schools can extend their reach and integrate care into existing educational settings.
- Families benefit from convenient access to mental health services for children without needing separate appointments outside the school environment.
- Health workforce in shortage areas gains opportunities to deliver care through school-linked programs.
Who Bears the Cost
- Federal government bears the cost of grant funding and interagency coordination.
- Eligible entities (LEAs/consortia) incur administrative overhead and program implementation costs beyond direct grants.
- Community health care providers must allocate time and resources to partner with schools and deliver telehealth services.
- Vendors and schools may incur expenses for telehealth equipment, maintenance, and privacy/compliance infrastructure.
- Ongoing privacy and data-security compliance costs fall on the implementing entities and their partners.
Key Issues
The Core Tension
Expanding school-based telehealth services must balance rapid access to mental health care with privacy safeguards and long-term sustainability, all while ensuring consistent quality across varied districts and healthcare partners.
The bill thoughtfully directs funding toward expanding in-school telehealth, but its success depends on practical operational realities. Implementation will require robust privacy protections, cross-state licensure considerations, and clear data-sharing protocols to prevent leakage of student information.
Schools will need to integrate telehealth workflows with existing counseling and health services, train staff, and ensure compatibility with FERPA, HIPAA (where applicable), and state privacy laws. The reliance on grant funding raises questions about long-term sustainability once 2029 funding expires, and there may be a need for alignment with Medicaid/CHIP reimbursement where appropriate to avoid gaps in service.
Additionally, establishing a telehealth program across diverse school districts will demand careful coordination with health care providers, IT infrastructure, and ongoing quality assurance. Ensuring equitable access across rural and urban districts will require continuous monitoring of service uptake, clinician availability, and technology access for students and families.
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