Congress funds peer mental health support in schools—no cost to families
H.R. 5353 — Peer to Peer Mental Health Support Act · Filed by Donald Beyer (D-VA) · 2 cosponsors · Introduced Sep 15, 2025 · Referred to committee
Your members of Congress
Enter a ZIP to see where your representative and both senators stood on this bill.
Looked up on this device — your ZIP is never stored on our servers.
What it does
This bill creates a federal pilot program that funds states, tribes, and school districts to run peer-support mental health programs in secondary schools, where trained student peers help identify and respond to mental health challenges under professional supervision. The program provides grants to eligible entities to train students and staff, measure outcomes, and connect struggling students to professional services, with a sunset date of September 30, 2029.
Why we flagged it
The bill's core mechanism is a competitive grant program to fund evidence-based peer mental health support in schools, with mandatory professional oversight, evaluation, and a sunset clause. It is straightforward public health infrastructure, not regulatory, commemorative, or industry-specific.
What the text implies
- The bill does not appropriate funds—it authorizes a pilot program but leaves actual funding to future appropriations, meaning implementation depends on Congress allocating money in a separate budget process.
- Peer support programs may reduce demand for school-based counselors and therapists in the short term, potentially affecting hiring or staffing models in districts, though the bill requires professional oversight so it is not a substitute for licensed care.
The full analysis lists 3 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
State and local education agencies; School districts; Tribal education organizations