H.R. 5557: Mental Health Services for Students Act of 2025
Sponsor
Andrea Salinas
Democrat · OR-6
Bill Progress
Latest Action · Sep 23, 2025
Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Why it matters
Up to $300 million a year could flow to school-linked mental health programs under H.R. 5557, with individual grants capped at $2 million. If your child is dealing with trauma, grief, suicide risk, or violence, the bill aims to make help available through school-and-provider partnerships instead of leaving families to find care on their own.
H.R. 5557 would expand a federal program for comprehensive school-based mental health services for children and adolescents, including students in Bureau of Indian Education-funded schools. The focus is on students dealing with traumatic experiences, grief, bereavement, suicide risk, and violence.
The bill does not fund schools acting alone. To qualify, a state education agency would have to apply with local school partners and at least one community-based mental health provider, such as a clinic, health system, family-based provider, or trauma network.
Money could be used for school- and community-based mental health programs, staff training to spot trauma or suicide risk, technical assistance for local communities, and systems for students to report violence or threats. Services must be developmentally, linguistically, and culturally appropriate, trauma-informed, and include positive behavioral supports.
Awards would last 5 years, with renewal options, and individual grants could be worth up to $2 million. The bill also says no more than 20% of a grant can be spent on evaluation, which leaves most funding for implementation and services.
Privacy rules are a major part of the design. Patient records would have to follow federal health privacy rules, and student education record protections would apply across the full partnership, not just inside the school building.
Congress would authorize $300 million for fiscal year 2027 and another $300 million for fiscal year 2028. That is authorization, not guaranteed cash, so the real test is whether lawmakers later provide the money and how federal agencies set the rules for measuring results.
What does H.R. 5557 do?
School mental health partnerships get multi-year funding
Eligible partnerships could receive awards lasting 5 years, with renewal options, giving schools and providers time to build programs instead of relying on one-year pilots.
Local programs can receive up to $2 million
Individual grants would be capped at $2 million for each of the first 5 fiscal years after enactment. Grant size would be based on the population of children up to age 21 in the service area.
$300 million a year is authorized
The bill authorizes $300 million for fiscal year 2027 and $300 million for fiscal year 2028 for school-based mental health services and supports.
Schools cannot apply without a mental health provider
Each application must include a state education agency, local school partners, and at least one community-based mental health provider, pushing schools and care providers into formal collaboration.
Funding can cover trauma, suicide-risk, and violence response
Grant money could support direct mental health programs, staff training to identify trauma or suicide risk, technical assistance, and reporting systems for violence or threats.
Privacy rules follow the partnership
Health records created through the program would have to follow federal health privacy rules, and student record protections would apply to all partnership members involved in the program.
Who benefits from H.R. 5557?
Students showing signs of trauma, grief, or suicide risk
If a child is struggling, H.R. 5557 aims to connect them with support through school-linked programs instead of making families navigate the mental health system alone.
Families trying to get care through the school they already know
Parents and caregivers could see more local partnerships between schools and mental health providers, which may make referrals, treatment, and follow-up easier to access.
Schools that need more than a counselor shortage workaround
Districts and school systems could join partnerships eligible for up to $2 million per grant, giving them a larger federal funding stream to build services and train staff.
Students in Bureau of Indian Education-funded schools
The bill explicitly includes these schools, making clear they are part of the population that can be served through the program.
Who is affected by H.R. 5557?
State education agencies
A state education agency must be part of every eligible partnership, so states would have to coordinate applications and help structure the school-provider network.
Local school districts and staff
Districts would need to work with outside providers, support training, track outcomes, and operate within federal privacy requirements if they participate.
Community mental health providers
Clinics, family-based providers, trauma networks, and other approved organizations would take on direct service, coordination, reporting, and privacy compliance responsibilities.
HHS and the Department of Education
Federal agencies would have to award grants, define outcome measures, monitor annual reports, and try to spread funding across regions and across urban and rural areas.
H.R. 5557 Common Questions
How much money does H.R. 5557 provide?
H.R. 5557 authorizes $300 million for fiscal year 2027 and another $300 million for 2028. Individual grants would be capped at $2 million.
Who could apply for these school mental health grants?
A state education agency would have to apply with one or more local school partners and at least one community-based mental health provider. Schools cannot apply alone.
What services could H.R. 5557 pay for?
The bill allows funding for school- and community-based mental health programs, staff training to spot trauma or suicide risk, technical assistance, and student reporting systems for violence or threats.
Would students in Bureau of Indian Education schools be included?
Yes. H.R. 5557 explicitly includes schools funded by the Bureau of Indian Education in the students who can be served.
How long would the grants last?
Awards would run for 5 years, and the bill allows renewal options. That gives partnerships more time than a short pilot program.
Does H.R. 5557 limit how much goes to evaluation?
Yes. Recipients could spend no more than 20% of their grant on evaluation activities, so at least 80% would remain available for implementation and services.
Would student mental health records still be private?
Yes. The bill says health records created through the program must follow federal health privacy rules, and student record protections would apply across all partnership members.
Is the money guaranteed if H.R. 5557 passes?
Not automatically. The bill authorizes funding, but Congress would still need to appropriate the money before grants can actually go out.
Based on H.R. 5557 bill text
Cost & Funding
Authorization: $300 million for fiscal year 2027 and $300 million for fiscal year 2028
- —Individual grants are capped at $2 million.
- —If every award hit the cap, $300 million could fund about 150 maximum-size grants in a year.
- —Awards last 5 years and can be renewed.
- —No more than 20% of a grant can be spent on evaluation activities.
- —Funding must be distributed across regions and across urban and rural areas.
HR5557 Legislative Journey
House: Committee Action
Sep 23, 2025
Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
About the Sponsor
Andrea Salinas
Democrat, Oregon's 6th congressional district · 3 years in Congress
Committees: Science, Space, and Technology, Agriculture
View full profile →
Cosponsors (65)
This bill has 65 cosponsors: 62 Democrats, 3 Republicans. Cosponsors represent 28 states: California, Colorado, Connecticut, and 25 more.
Brian Fitzpatrick
Republican · PA
Nanette Barragán
Democrat · CA
Suzanne Bonamici
Democrat · OR
Julia Brownley
Democrat · CA
Nikki Budzinski
Democrat · IL
Mike Carey
Republican · OH
Yvette Clarke
Democrat · NY
Steve Cohen
Democrat · TN
Angie Craig
Democrat · MN
Madeleine Dean
Democrat · PA
Suzan DelBene
Democrat · WA
Lloyd Doggett
Democrat · TX
Committee Sponsors
Energy and Commerce Committee
9 of 54 committee members cosponsored
15 Democrats across this committee haven't cosponsored yet. Mobilize their constituents
What laws does H.R. 5557 change?
1 changes
Sections Amended
Section 581 of Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 290hh) (relating to children and violence)
read as follows: ``SEC
H.R. 5557 Quick Facts
- Committee
- Energy and Commerce
- Chamber
- House
- Policy
- Health
- Introduced
- Sep 23, 2025
Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Sep 23, 2025
Official Sources
Official legislative status page for the Mental Health Services for Students Act of 2025.
Official federal mental health resource page for children and families relevant to the bill's focus on student trauma, grief, and suicide risk.
Official HHS guidance on HIPAA, which the bill expressly applies to patient records developed by covered entities in these partnerships.
Official Department of Education FERPA resource explaining the student record privacy rules the bill extends across partnership members.
Official SAMHSA hub for school and campus behavioral health programs that aligns with the bill's school-based service approach.
Official GovInfo compilation of the Public Health Service Act, which H.R. 5557 would amend in 42 U.S.C. 290hh.
H.R. 5557 Bill Text
“To amend the Public Health Service Act to revise and extend projects relating to children and to provide access to school-based comprehensive mental health programs.”
Source: U.S. Government Publishing Office
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