HR 3541, the "See the Board Act," creates a federal grant program to provide free eye care services to students in public elementary and secondary schools. The program, administered by the Secretary of Health and Human Services, awards grants to nonprofit organizations to purchase mobile eye care equipment and cover operational costs like staff, personal protective equipment, and optical services. These grants fund mobile clinics that bring vision screenings, comprehensive exams, and glasses directly to schools, targeting students attending public K-12 schools as defined under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. The bill authorizes funding for fiscal years 2026 through 2031 to support this initiative.
The Reducing Obesity in Youth Act of 2025 establishes a grant program to improve healthy eating and physical activity for children ages birth through 5 in childcare, Head Start, and early education settings. It authorizes $5 million annually (2026-2030) for competitive grants to nonprofits, schools, or consortia to train childcare providers, link programs to nutrition resources, and engage families - prioritizing diverse rural and urban communities. Grantees must address food insecurity and implement evidence-based approaches, with a national evaluator tracking outcomes and reporting results to Congress. The bill also allocates $1.7 million for monitoring state progress on obesity prevention policies and food security in these settings.
The Nurse Faculty Shortage Reduction Act of 2026 creates a federal grant program to help nursing schools address faculty shortages by supplementing salaries. Nursing schools applying for grants must submit detailed salary data comparing clinical nurse pay to current faculty pay (adjusted for inflation), then receive funding to cover the difference for eligible faculty - those who previously worked in clinical practice or are new hires. Grants last up to three years ($15 million annually from 2027-2031) and require schools to maintain the salary supplement level throughout the grant period. Priority is given to schools in health professional shortage areas, serving vulnerable populations, or focusing on underrepresented faculty. The program requires schools to demonstrate plans for sustaining salary support after the grant ends.
HR 2682, the STOP Bullying Act, requires each state to establish a state anti-bullying task force using federal grants. The task force must study bullying in K-12 schools, including policies, education efforts, and bullying-related violence or self-harm, and include specific members like teachers, students, parents, psychologists, and LGBTQ+ advocates. States must submit a public report with findings, recommendations for legislation or actions, and best practices for addressing bullying within one year. This bill directly affects all public K-12 schools and students across the country, particularly focusing on reducing bullying against marginalized groups like LGBTQ+ students, Jewish students, and students with disabilities. The law creates a structured process for states to develop evidence-based anti-bullying strategies but does not provide direct funding for school programs.
S 906 establishes a federal pilot program to fund peer-led mental health support in secondary schools (grades 6-12). States and tribes can apply for competitive grants to implement evidence-based programs where trained student peers help classmates navigate mental health challenges, with oversight by school counselors. The program requires measuring participation rates, mental health outcomes, and connections to professional care, and mandates an evaluation report to Congress. The pilot will run until September 30, 2029, with funds limited to existing mental health programs.
The Keeping All Students Safe Act prohibits inappropriate seclusion and restraint in schools, including mechanical, chemical, and certain physical restraints that pose safety risks. It requires schools to use less restrictive interventions first, train staff in crisis intervention, and notify parents within 24 hours of any restraint incident. The law mandates meetings between schools and parents after incidents to discuss prevention strategies and provides documentation requirements. It applies to all public schools receiving federal funding, with specific protections for students with disabilities. States must submit compliance plans and report on restraint use, including demographic data on affected students.
This bill requires colleges receiving federal work-study funds to notify eligible students about potential eligibility for the SNAP food assistance program. It specifically targets students participating in federal work-study or receiving Pell Grants, mandating that institutions send email notifications with state-specific SNAP eligibility details and a document confirming their work-study status to overcome a key ineligibility barrier. The notifications, developed jointly by the Education and Agriculture Departments, include application contacts and guidance for schools on identifying eligible students. The policy change directly enables more college students to access nutrition assistance by clarifying their SNAP eligibility through institutional outreach.
Freedom in School Cafeterias and Lunches Act or the FISCAL Act This bill revises requirements for milk provided by the National School Lunch Program of the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to require that schools offer plant-based milk. Under current law, schools must provide a substitute for fluid milk for students whose disability restricts their diet (on receipt of a written statement from a licensed physician). Schools may also substitute a nondairy beverage for fluid milk for students who have an identified medical or other special dietary need (on receipt of a written statement from a medical authority or a student's parent or legal guardian). The bill eliminates the exceptions and documentation requirements. Instead, schools participating in the school lunch program must offer all students a plant-based milk option that is consistent with (1) the most recent U.S. Dietary Guidelines, or (2) USDA-established nutritional standards if the milk is not included under those guidelines.
The ASSIST Act (S 2050) increases federal funding for mental health and substance use disorder services provided in schools and school-based health centers. It raises the federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) for these services to 90% for states, starting one year after enactment, while ensuring this doesn’t reduce existing federal payments or count against territorial spending limits. The bill also creates a new grant program administered by the Health and Human Services Secretary to fund entities like school districts and universities in hiring more licensed mental health providers, requiring culturally competent care and annual reporting on provider numbers and service effectiveness. It prohibits using grant funds for threat assessment teams and mandates a report to Congress on the program’s effectiveness within 18 months.
HR 5353, the Peer to Peer Mental Health Support Act, creates a federal pilot program to fund evidence-based mental health peer support programs in secondary schools (grades 6-12). It provides competitive grants to states, tribes, or school districts to train student helpers and school professionals to support peers facing mental health challenges, with programs overseen by school-based mental health professionals. The program requires measuring participation, training details, and impacts on student mental health outcomes, with annual reports to Congress. The initiative expires on September 30, 2029.
