# 119-s-5468: Counseling Not Criminalization in Schools Act

119-s-5468, Counseling Not Criminalization in Schools Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Murphy, Christopher [D-CT] (D-CT); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-15).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5468
- As of: 2026-10-15
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-5468
- Congress: 119
- Title: Counseling Not Criminalization in Schools Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2026-09-23
- Sponsor: Sen. Murphy, Christopher [D-CT] (D-CT)
- Cosponsors: 4
- Policy area: Education
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-10-15

## Summary

**Ends federal support for police in K–12 and Head Start programs** and would redirect federal dollars into trauma-informed mental health staff and school climate supports. The bill focuses on replacing school-based officers with counselors, social workers, and community mentors to reduce arrests and exclusionary discipline. - Students and families: Would fund hiring of school counselors, psychologists, nurses, social workers, credible messengers, and other trauma-informed staff to address student needs and aim to reduce arrests, suspensions, and discipline disparities for marginalized students. - Local educational agencies (LEAs) and schools: LEAs could apply for competitive, rolling transition grants based on enrollment and must show no officers on campus at least 30 days before funding. Priority goes to LEAs that already ended police contracts and to those with larger shares of economically disadvantaged students. - Federal funding and limits: Would prohibit federal funds from hiring, maintaining, or training covered law enforcement officers in schools, including through Byrne and COPS grants. Grant money may not buy surveillance equipment, arm staff, or fund partnerships that support police presence. *Would authorize $5.0 billion in appropriations for the transition grant program.*

## Cosponsors (4)

- Sen. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD] (D-MD), 2026-09-23T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR] (D-OR), 2026-09-23T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ] (D-NJ), 2026-09-23T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Markey, Edward J. [D-MA] (D-MA), 2026-09-23T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Ban Federal Funding for School Police: benefit, high. If enacted, the bill would bar any Federal funds from being appropriated or used to hire, maintain, or train state, tribal, or local law enforcement officers in K–12 schools and Head Start-funded programs. The ban would apply even to major grant programs such as COPS grants and Edward Byrne Memoria…
- Grants to Replace School Police: benefit, medium. If enacted, the bill would create a competitive Department of Education grant program to help school districts replace campus police with mental-health, trauma-informed, and behavioral supports. The program would be authorized at $5 billion and grant sizes would be based on district enrollment. To…
- Which Schools and Staff Are Covered: benefit, low. If enacted, the bill would define which programs and people the grants and funding bans cover. "Covered programs" would include the operations of elementary and secondary schools, local educational agencies, and programs receiving Head Start assistance. A "covered law enforcement officer" would mea…

## Related bills

- 119-s-5066: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026
- 119-s-3990: PrEP Access and Coverage Act of 2026
- 119-s-2823: FAMILY Act
- 119-s-3869: Healthy Families Act
- 119-s-2231: GLOBE Act of 2025
- 119-s-51: Washington, D.C. Admission Act

## Sources
- [119-s-5468 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/5468)

## Related
- [119-s-5066: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5066)
- [119-s-3990: PrEP Access and Coverage Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3990)
- [119-s-2823: FAMILY Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2823)
- [119-s-3869: Healthy Families Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3869)
- [119-s-2231: GLOBE Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2231)
- [119-s-51: Washington, D.C. Admission Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-51)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5468 (as of 2026-10-15).