This bill, known as the Advancing Student Services In Schools Today Act, seeks to enhance access to crucial behavioral health services for students. It amends the Social Security Act to significantly increase the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) to 90% for state Medicaid expenditures. This higher federal match applies specifically to services provided by mental health and substance use disorder care providers within schools or school-based health centers, ensuring greater federal support for these vital services. To further address the shortage of behavioral health professionals, the bill establishes a new grant program. The Secretary of Health and Human Services will award grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements to eligible entities to increase the number of mental health and substance use disorder care providers in schools and school-based health centers. These grants require applicants to demonstrate how they will meet student needs and ensure culturally competent and linguistically appropriate services. Eligible entities include local educational agencies, institutions of higher education, and school-based health centers. The bill mandates reporting requirements for both grant recipients and the Secretary. Grant recipients must submit annual reports detailing provider numbers, service efficacy, and recruitment efforts, while the Secretary will report to Congress every five years on the program's overall effectiveness. Notably, funds from these awards are explicitly prohibited from being used for threat assessment teams.
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
Health
ASSIST Act
USA119th CongressS-2050| Senate
| Updated: 6/12/2025
This bill, known as the Advancing Student Services In Schools Today Act, seeks to enhance access to crucial behavioral health services for students. It amends the Social Security Act to significantly increase the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) to 90% for state Medicaid expenditures. This higher federal match applies specifically to services provided by mental health and substance use disorder care providers within schools or school-based health centers, ensuring greater federal support for these vital services. To further address the shortage of behavioral health professionals, the bill establishes a new grant program. The Secretary of Health and Human Services will award grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements to eligible entities to increase the number of mental health and substance use disorder care providers in schools and school-based health centers. These grants require applicants to demonstrate how they will meet student needs and ensure culturally competent and linguistically appropriate services. Eligible entities include local educational agencies, institutions of higher education, and school-based health centers. The bill mandates reporting requirements for both grant recipients and the Secretary. Grant recipients must submit annual reports detailing provider numbers, service efficacy, and recruitment efforts, while the Secretary will report to Congress every five years on the program's overall effectiveness. Notably, funds from these awards are explicitly prohibited from being used for threat assessment teams.