H.R. 1109 Passes House - Mental Health Services for Students Act

September 29, 2020

Washington, DC, September 29, 2020 – The American Association of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) applauds today’s U.S. House of Representatives passage of H.R. 1109, the “Mental Health Services for Students Act of 2019,” as amended. Special thanks to Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and the committee for reporting this important bill to the House floor on a bipartisan basis. We also deeply appreciate the hard work of Reps. Grace Napolitano (D-CA) and John Katko (R-NY), chairs of the House Mental Health Caucus, for sponsoring this measure and strongly championing support for the mental health needs of America’s students. This bill, long a major AACAP priority, would expand SAMHSA’s Project AWARE pilot programs to increase school-based mental health services, including child and adolescent psychiatrist services, through competitive grants for students, grades K-12. AACAP calls on the U.S. Senate to immediately take up and pass this bill, sponsored in that body by Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) 

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The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry promotes the healthy development of children, adolescents, and families through advocacy, education, and research. Child and adolescent psychiatrists are the leading physician authority on children’s mental health. For more information, please visit www.aacap.org