School Social Workers Improving Student Success Act
Sponsored By: Representative Moore, Gwen [D-WI-4]
Introduced
Summary
Expand school social worker staffing to improve student mental health. The bill would create a federal grant program and a National Technical Assistance Center to help high-need districts hire and retain school social workers and build school-based mental health supports.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Grants to hire school social workers
If enacted, the bill would create competitive grants for high-need school districts to hire and keep school social workers. Grants would last up to four years and could be renewed with progress reports showing hiring toward at least 1 social worker per 250 students (or 1 per 50 in schools with mostly higher-risk students). The program would be authorized at $100,000,000 per year for fiscal years 2026 through 2030. Funds must supplement, not supplant, other Federal, State, or local money, and may pay travel for home visits, supervision, and other service-related costs. Districts could hire contractors only if they cannot recruit enough qualified social workers, and each contractor would need the same graduate degree and credentials as regular staff. The Department of Education would provide technical help and may extend application deadlines for districts that ask for assistance.
National center for school social work
If enacted, the Department of Education would set up a national technical assistance center for school social work. The center would give training and technical help, collect and share data on staffing ratios and student outcomes, and study social work training at colleges. It would help states, tribes, colleges, and school districts build workforce strategies and share best practices to improve social work in schools.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Moore, Gwen [D-WI-4]
WI • D
Cosponsors
Rep. Scholten, Hillary J. [D-MI-3]
MI • D
Sponsored 3/4/2026
Rep. Garcia, Sylvia R. [D-TX-29]
TX • D
Sponsored 3/4/2026
Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large]
DC • D
Sponsored 4/14/2026
Escobar
TX • D
Sponsored 5/13/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov