Congress funds peer mental health support in schools—with strong privacy guardrails

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 support classmates struggling with mental health or substance use issues under professional supervision. The program provides grants to eligible entities to train students and staff, measure outcomes, and connect struggling students to professional mental health services, with a sunset date of September 30, 2029.

Why we flagged it

The bill establishes a time-limited, evidence-based federal grant program to support student peer mental health support in schools. It is a straightforward public health intervention with no hidden mechanisms or narrow beneficiaries.

What the text implies

• Program success may increase demand for professional mental health services in schools, potentially straining existing school counselor and psychologist capacity if not adequately funded.
• Peer support training and identification protocols could create liability exposure for schools if peer supporters miss warning signs or if peer-to-peer disclosures are mishandled despite FERPA protections.
• Evaluation metrics focus on connection to professional services; if professional capacity is unavailable, the program may identify need without meeting it, creating frustration and unmet demand.

Who it affects

Students and families gain access to early mental health identification and peer support infrastructure in schools, which research shows can improve outcomes and reduce barriers to professional care. The program is evidence-based, professionally supervised, and includes strong privacy protections (FERPA), with no apparent cost-shifting to individuals.

Who stands to gain

• State and local education agencies
• School districts
• Tribal education organizations
• Mental health training and technical assistance providers

Named in the bill

Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, Secretary of Education, State education agencies, Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations, Secondary schools, Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, House Committee on Energy and Commerce, House Committee on Education and Workforce, FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act), Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965

Where it stands

3 cosponsors: 2 Democrats, 1 Republicans.

• Mar 6, 2025 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in Senate”
• Mar 6, 2025 — 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.

Money around this bill

1 lobbying clients named this bill on 1 disclosure filings across 1 quarter, Jun 2026 to Jun 2026. Those filings disclosed $20,000 in lobbying spend. A filing names 110 bills on average, so that figure is what each filing reported, not a share belonging to this bill.

More lobbying clients named this bill than 0% of bills with at least one filing.

John Hickenlooper, the sponsor, reported $975,352 in PAC receipts in the 2026 cycle.

• National Alliance on Mental Illness — $20,000 on 1 filing

Lobbying Disclosure Act filings through Jul 20, 2026. A filing shows who paid to lobby on a bill it names, not what changed.