# 119-hr-8979: Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Act

119-hr-8979, Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Mannion, John W. [D-NY-22] (D-NY); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-24).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-8979
- As of: 2026-10-24
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-8979
- Congress: 119
- Title: Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2026-05-21
- Sponsor: Rep. Mannion, John W. [D-NY-22] (D-NY)
- Cosponsors: 9
- Policy area: Education
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-10-24

## Summary

**Expands access to school-based mental health services in high-need public elementary and secondary schools.** The bill creates a federal grant program for States to fund school counselors, psychologists, social workers, and community mental health partners and sets staffing ratio targets and matching rules. - Families and students: Targeted funds prioritize schools with the largest shares of low-income students and aim to move toward ratios of 1 counselor per 250 students, 1 psychologist per 500 students, and 1 social worker per 250 students. - Local education agencies and schools: LEAs compete for subgrants to recruit, retain, or contract providers, and must report annually on staff supported and activities funded. - States: Grants use a formula tied to Title I Part A shares, include a 0.5% small-state minimum, last for 5 years with renewal based on progress, and require a 20% State match. - Mental health providers: Funds may pay State-licensed or State-certified school counselors, school psychologists, school social workers, or community mental health centers to serve high-need schools. *Authorizes at least $5.0 billion for fiscal year 2027 and would increase federal spending if appropriated.*

## Cosponsors (9)

- Rep. Carter, Troy A. [D-LA-2] (D-LA), 2026-09-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Sánchez, Linda T. [D-CA-38] (D-CA), 2026-05-21T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Underwood, Lauren [D-IL-14] (D-IL), 2026-05-21T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Lieu, Ted [D-CA-36] (D-CA), 2026-05-21T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Hayes, Jahana [D-CT-5] (D-CT), 2026-05-21T00:00:00.000Z
- Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large] (D-DC), 2026-06-18T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Craig, Angie [D-MN-2] (D-MN), 2026-06-23T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Figures, Shomari [D-AL-2] (D-AL), 2026-07-09T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Brownley, Julia [D-CA-26] (D-CA), 2026-08-20T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- More school mental health funding: mixed, high. If enacted, this bill would create a Department of Education grant program to expand school-based mental health staff in high-need public schools. It would authorize $5 billion for fiscal year 2027 and "such sums as may be necessary" in later years. The Secretary would reserve 0.5% for Bureau of In…

## Related bills

- 119-hr-9877: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026
- 119-hr-7973: Momnibus Act
- 119-hr-7977: Energy Bills Relief Act
- 119-hr-51: Washington, D.C. Admission Act
- 119-hr-20: Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2025
- 119-hr-2086: Rights for the TSA Workforce Act

## Sources
- [119-hr-8979 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/8979)

## Related
- [119-hr-9877: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-9877)
- [119-hr-7973: Momnibus Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7973)
- [119-hr-7977: Energy Bills Relief Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7977)
- [119-hr-51: Washington, D.C. Admission Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-51)
- [119-hr-20: Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-20)
- [119-hr-2086: Rights for the TSA Workforce Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-2086)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-8979 (as of 2026-10-24).