Cornyn, Colleagues Introduce Bill to Improve Schools’ Access to Mental Health Grants

Cornyn, Colleagues Introduce Bill to Improve Schools’ Access to Mental Health Grants News Cornyn, Colleagues Introduce Bill to Improve Schools’ Access to Mental Health Grants November 12, 2026 WASHINGTON – During National School Psychology Week, U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Tim Kaine (D-VA), and Susan Collins (R-ME) introduced the Creating Access and Resources in Education (CARE) for Student Mental Health Act , which would help schools apply for federal mental health grants funded in part by the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act : “The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act made the single largest investment in community-based mental health care in American history, and this legislation would build on that important legacy by helping address the labor shortage of mental health professionals in schools, especially in rural areas, to ensure more students in Texas and across the country have access to the treatment and support they need,” said Sen. Cornyn. “One of the things that I hear about the most from young people across New Hampshire is the challenges that they face getting the mental health care that they need. This bipartisan legislation will help more schools, especially those in rural and underserved communities, access federal resources to hire more mental health professionals and better support their students,” said Sen. Hassan. “As a longtime advocate for improving access to mental health care, I believe every student should have the support and resources they need to succeed,” said Sen. Tillis. “This bipartisan legislation builds on our efforts to strengthen school-based mental health services so students can get help when and where they need it.” “We can and must do more to support young people in our communities who are experiencing anxiety, depression, and other mental health challenges, and boosting school-based mental health services is an important way we can do that,” said Sen. Kaine. “I’m proud to introduce this bipartisan legislation to help recruit, hire, and retain the professionals we need to provide these critical services.” This legislation is also cosponsored by U.S. Senator Susan Collins (R-ME). Background: One in five children has a diagnosable mental or behavioral health disorder, and approximately 40% of students will experience symptoms of depression or anxiety by the seventh grade. Despite this growing crisis, a majority of school districts have limited or no access to school-based mental health providers such as psychologists, counselors, and social workers. The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act , authored by Sen. Cornyn and signed into law in June of 2022, made historic investments in school-based mental health and supportive services, including $1 billion for the Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration Grant Program and School-Based Mental Health Services Program to hire more school psychologists, counselors, social workers, and other mental health services providers. However, less than 3% of eligible entities have applied for these grants, oftentimes because they do not have the administrative bandwidth to do so or the awareness that these grants are available. The Creating Access and Resources in Education (CARE) for Student Mental Health Act would help bridge the gap between schools in need and available mental health resources by: Clarifying the distinction, purpose, and allowable activities of each grant to help eligible entities quickly determine which grant best meets their needs; Requiring the U.S. Department of Education to improve notification and technical assistance for potential grantees to enable more school districts with limited administrative capacity to apply and compete for these federal grants; Authorizing and streamlining the Strengthening the Pipeline of School-Based Mental Health Services Providers Program, which supports partnerships between colleges, universities, and school districts to increase the number of properly trained school-based mental health service professionals; And authorizing the School-Based Mental Health Services Program that assists high-need school districts to recruit, hire, and retain school-based mental health personnel for students to remain healthy, engaged, and safe at school. The legislation is endorsed by the National Association of School Psychologists. Sen. Cornyn is a member of the Senate Mental Health Caucus, which was founded in 2023 by Senators Joni Ernst (R-IA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Thom Tillis (R-NC), and Tina Smith (D-MN) to create a forum for Senators to collaborate on and promote bipartisan legislation and solutions, hold events to raise awareness of critical mental health issues, and destigmatize mental health.