Sec. 4. Grants
857 words·~4 min read·
/bill/116/s/2499/is/section-4A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
From the amounts made available under section 5 for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall award grants, in amounts determined under subsection (b), to State educational agencies to enable the State educational agencies to award subgrants to local educational agencies in order to provide school-based mental health services providers at public elementary schools and secondary schools served by the local educational agencies. A grant awarded under this section shall be for a 5-year period and may be renewed for additional 5-year periods upon a showing of adequate progress, as determined by the Secretary.
The Secretary shall use $2,000,000,000 of the amounts made available under section 5 for a fiscal year to provide a base grant for such fiscal year to each State educational agency that submits a complete application, on a proportional basis based on the number of elementary school and secondary school students in each State, subject to subparagraph (C). If the amounts made available under section 5 are less than $2,000,000,000, the Secretary shall ratably reduce the amount provided under subparagraph
(A)to each State, subject to subparagraph (C). No State shall receive less than $1,000,000 under subparagraph
(A)for a fiscal year. In any fiscal year for which the funds made available under section 5 are greater than $2,000,000,000, the Secretary shall use such additional funds to provide, on a competitive basis, additional amounts for the grants provided under this section to State educational agencies that agree to meet the matching requirement under subparagraph (B). In order to receive additional funding under this paragraph, a State educational agency shall agree to provide matching funds, in an amount equal to not less than one-half of the additional amount provided under subparagraph (A), toward the costs of the activities carried out under this grant. The Secretary shall award the additional amounts under subparagraph
(A)based on the need for school-based mental health services providers in the public elementary schools and secondary schools in the State and the Secretary's assessment of the ratios included in each application under subsection (c)(3). In no case shall the total amount awarded under this subsection exceed the amount needed to meet the recommended maximum student-to-provider ratios described in subsection (d)(1)(B) in all public elementary schools and secondary schools in the State. A State educational agency desiring a grant under this section shall submit an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require. Each application shall include— a description of how the State educational agency will award subgrants to local educational agencies under subsection
(d)consistent with the consideration described in subsection (b)(2)(C); a description of how the State educational agency will disseminate, in a timely manner, information regarding the subgrants and the application process for such subgrants to eligible local educational agencies; and the ratios, as of the date of application, of students to school-based mental health services providers in each public elementary school and secondary school in the State, in the aggregate and disaggregated to include— the ratios of students to school counselors, school psychologists, and school social workers; and as applicable, the ratios of students to other school-based mental health services providers not described in subparagraph (A), in the aggregate and disaggregated by type of provider. A State educational agency receiving a grant under this section shall use grant funds to award subgrants, on a competitive basis, to local educational agencies in the State, to enable the local educational agencies to— employ a school-based mental health services provider at each public elementary school and secondary school served by the local educational agency; and work toward effectively staffing the public elementary schools and secondary schools of the State with school-based mental health services providers, including by meeting the recommended maximum ratios of— 250 students per school counselor; 500 to 700 students per school psychologist; and 250 students per school social worker. A local educational agency desiring a subgrant under this subsection shall submit an application to the State educational agency at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the State educational agency may require. Amounts provided under a grant or subgrant under this section shall supplement, and not supplant, any other funds available to a State educational agency or local educational agency for school-based mental health services. A State educational agency receiving a grant under this section may combine funds made available under this section with State or local funds to carry out the activities described in subsection (d)(1). A State educational agency receiving a grant under this section shall annually prepare and submit a report to the Secretary that— evaluates the progress made in achieving the purposes of the grant; includes the most recent student to provider ratios, in the aggregate and disaggregated as provided in subsection (c)(3), for public elementary schools and secondary schools in the State that were assisted under the grant under this section; and describes any other resources needed to meet the required recommended maximum student to school-based mental health services provider ratios. The Secretary shall make all reports submitted under paragraph
(1)available to the public, including through the website of the Department.