H.R. 4120: Supporting the Mental Health of Educators and Staff Act of 2025

This bill, titled the Supporting the Mental Health of Educators and Staff Act of 2025, aims to improve the mental health and well-being of educators and school staff across the United States. It establishes various programs, initiatives, and funding to promote mental health support specifically targeted at individuals working in educational settings.

Dissemination of Best Practices

The bill mandates that within two years after its enactment, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, in consultation with the Secretary of Education, must identify and share effective strategies for:

• Preventing suicide and enhancing mental health and resilience among educators and school staff.
• Training school staff in methods to maintain and improve their mental health.

Education and Awareness Initiative

The Secretary will also create a national initiative to:

• Encourage educators and school staff to seek support for mental health or substance use issues.
• Help staff recognize the risks of suicide and mental health conditions and provide them with the skills to address these risks.
• Combat the stigma surrounding the pursuit of mental health and substance use disorder services.

A report detailing the outcomes of this initiative must be submitted to Congress within two years, with an allocated budget of $10 million for fiscal years 2026 through 2028.

Programs to Promote Mental Health

The bill proposes amendments to existing laws that would enable the Secretary to:

• Grant funds to various educational entities for developing or improving programs aimed at enhancing the mental health of education professionals.
• Focus on initiatives that raise awareness of mental health issues, establish peer support programs, and offer mental health care services.

The total allocated budget for these programs is $35 million for the same fiscal years (2026-2028).

Review and Assessment

Within two years after the bill's enactment, the Secretary, with input from stakeholders, must conduct a review regarding:

• The mental health status of education professionals.
• The effectiveness of the programs established under this legislation.

This review will include assessing mental health conditions among staff, barriers to accessing care, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health.

GAO Report

Four years after the bill's enactment, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) will submit a report on how effectively federal mental health and substance use disorder grant programs cater to educators and school staff. This report will analyze evidence related to mental health conditions and assess whether there is overlap among grant programs.

Relevant Companies

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