Federal funding redirected from school police to counselors and mental health

What it does

This bill redirects federal funding away from police in schools toward counselors, social workers, psychologists, and trauma-informed services. It prohibits federal dollars from paying for school resource officers and similar law enforcement in schools, and instead creates a $5 billion competitive grant program for school districts that eliminate police contracts and invest in mental health and support staff—with priority given to districts serving economically disadvantaged students and those with histories of disproportionate arrests of students of color.

Why we flagged it

The bill's operative mechanism is a federal funding prohibition on police in schools paired with a grant program to fund mental health and support staff. This is fundamentally a reallocation of public education resources from law enforcement to counseling and trauma-informed services, not a deregulation or corporate carve-out.

What the text implies

• Districts that have already eliminated school police without federal support may be disadvantaged in grant competition unless they can demonstrate prior termination and commitment to non-reinstatement.
• The 30-day requirement to terminate police contracts before receiving funds may create a gap in school safety perception during transition, potentially triggering political backlash in some communities.
• Grant amounts based on enrollment may not account for districts with higher concentrations of students requiring intensive mental health services, potentially underfunding highest-need areas.
• The prohibition on data-sharing with ICE and CBP may create tension with federal immigration enforcement but protects immigrant students from deportation-related surveillance.

Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.

Who it affects

The bill addresses documented disparities in school discipline and police contact that disproportionately harm Black, Latino, Native American, disabled, and LGBTQI+ students. It redirects public funds from a practice (police in schools) that research shows does not improve safety but increases arrests—especially of marginalized students—toward evidence-based mental health and trauma-informed services that improve academic outcomes and school climate. The grant structure prioritizes districts ser

Who stands to gain

• school districts (grant recipients)
• mental health professionals and counselors (hiring)
• social workers and psychologists (hiring)
• community health workers and credible messengers (hiring)
• trauma-informed service providers and training organizations

Named in the bill

U.S. Department of Education, local educational agencies, school districts, Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968, Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program, COPS on the Beat grant program, Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, Head Start Act, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Department of Justice, Interagency Task Force on Trauma-Informed Care

Where it stands

4 cosponsors: 4 Democrats.

• Sep 23, 2026 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in Senate”
• Sep 23, 2026 — Referred to Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions · Congress.gov: “Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions”

Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.