Campus Prevention and Recovery Services for Students Act of 2026
Sponsored By: Representative Rep. Leger Fernandez, Teresa [D-NM-3]
Introduced
Summary
Expands campus programs to prevent and treat alcohol and substance misuse. This bill would rename and broaden Higher Education Act Section 120 to require evidence-based or evidence-informed programs, add recovery supports, and create new federal coordination with HHS.
Show full summary
- Students: More prevention education, counseling, peer recovery support, and re-entry help for students with substance use disorders.
- Colleges and universities: Must adopt evidence-based or evidence-informed programs, publish information on campus counseling and recovery options, and may use grants to better integrate primary care, mental health, and substance use disorder services.
- Federal coordination and grants: The Department of Education would enter an interagency agreement with HHS within 180 days and issue guidance within 1 year, while grants may fund overdose prevention, crisis response, direct recovery supports, and partnerships with community-based organizations.
*Would authorize $15.0 million for fiscal year 2027 and each of the five following years to carry out Section 120, increasing federal outlays by that amount annually for 2027–2031.*
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 4 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
More campus prevention and recovery grants
If enacted, grants or contracts under section 120 would be allowed to fund a much wider set of activities on campus. These include recovery support services, peer support and counseling, integration with campus primary care and mental health services, and integrated screening, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment for mental health and substance use disorders. Grants could also fund re-entry help for students on academic probation for substance use disorder, overdose prevention and restoring services after disasters, and training for students, faculty, and staff on recognizing and de-escalating substance-related crises. Community-based organizations, including collegiate recovery programs, could partner with campuses and receive grant support.
College certification of prevention programs
If enacted, two years after enactment institutions would have to certify they operate an evidence-based or evidence-informed alcohol and substance misuse prevention program that is accessible to students and employees. Institutions would also have to describe any counseling, treatment, rehabilitation, recovery, re-entry, or recovery support programs they provide or offer through community partnerships. An institution would be treated as in compliance unless there is a showing it knowingly and willfully failed to implement the required prevention program.
Federal campus prevention guidance
If enacted, the Education Secretary would have to make an interagency agreement with HHS within 180 days to develop best practices for evidence-based or evidence-informed campus alcohol and substance misuse programs. The agreement would set processes to share those best practices and to coordinate with State agencies that run Substance Use Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Services Block Grants. Within one year, the Education Secretary would issue guidance on the criteria described in that agreement.
Campus prevention grant funding
If enacted, the bill would authorize $15,000,000 for fiscal year 2027 and for each of the five succeeding fiscal years (2027–2031) to carry out campus prevention and recovery grants under section 120. Those authorized funds would support grants for prevention, treatment referral, and recovery support on campuses. This authorization does not appropriate money; Congress would still need to appropriate these funds before they could be spent.
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Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Rep. Leger Fernandez, Teresa [D-NM-3]
NM • D
Cosponsors
McBath
GA • D
Sponsored 1/12/2026
Rep. Pappas, Chris [D-NH-1]
NH • D
Sponsored 1/12/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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