Enhancing Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Through Campus Planning Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8978 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 8978

  To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to promote comprehensive
   campus mental health and suicide prevention plans, and for other
                               purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 21, 2026

Mr. Mannion (for himself and Mr. Fitzpatrick) introduced the following
  bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

  To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to promote comprehensive
   campus mental health and suicide prevention plans, and for other
                               purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Enhancing Mental Health and Suicide
Prevention Through Campus Planning Act''.

SEC. 2. ENCOURAGING CAMPUS COMPREHENSIVE MENTAL HEALTH AND SUICIDE
              PREVENTION PLANS.

    Part L of title VIII of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
1161l et seq.) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating section 826 as section 827; and
            (2) by inserting after section 825 the following new
        section:

``SEC. 826. ENCOURAGING CAMPUS COMPREHENSIVE MENTAL HEALTH AND SUICIDE
              PREVENTION PLANS.

    ``(a) In General.--The Secretary shall make efforts to encourage
institutions of higher education to develop and implement evidence-
based comprehensive campus mental health and suicide prevention plans.
Such efforts--
            ``(1) shall be conducted in coordination with the Secretary
        of Health and Human Services (acting through the Assistant
        Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use);
            ``(2) shall align with--
                    ``(A) the efforts and approaches recommended by the
                Suicide Prevention Resource Center; and
                    ``(B) the programs authorized under--
                            ``(i) section 9032 of the 21st Century
                        Cures Act (42 U.S.C. 290bb-36b note; Public Law
                        114-255);
                            ``(ii) section 520C of the Public Health
                        Service Act (42 U.S.C. 290bb-34);
                            ``(iii) section 520E of such Act (42 U.S.C.
                        290bb-36);
                            ``(iv) section 520E-1 of such Act (42
                        U.S.C. 290bb-36a);
                            ``(v) section 520E-2 of such Act (42 U.S.C.
                        290bb-36b); and
                            ``(vi) section 549 of such Act (42 U.S.C.
                        290ee-4);
            ``(3) shall take into consideration existing Federal and
        State efforts to address mental health and suicide prevention
        at institutions of higher education; and
            ``(4) may be carried out in collaboration with nonprofit
        organizations, community-based organizations that partner with
        institutions of higher education, and other experts and
        stakeholders in the field of campus mental health and suicide
        prevention.
    ``(b) Reports.--The Secretary shall report to the Committee on
Education and Workforce of the House of Representatives and the
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate on
the efforts of the Secretary carried out under this section--
            ``(1) not later than one year after the date of enactment
        of the Enhancing Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Through
        Campus Planning Act; and
            ``(2) three years after the date of enactment of such Act.
    ``(c) Construction.--Nothing in this section shall be construed as
creating new statutory requirements for institutions of higher
education or granting the Secretary new regulatory authority.''.
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