New Pilot Program Boosts High School Mental Health Support: $2029$ Sunset Date Set

The Peer to Peer Mental Health Support Act sets up a temporary federal pilot program aimed at funding student-led mental health initiatives in high schools. Essentially, the federal government is offering competitive grants to put resources directly into schools to train students and staff on how to spot mental health or substance use issues early and build resilience among their peers.

The New Playbook for School Wellness

This isn’t just a handshake and a pat on the back; it’s a structured, five-year plan. The Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, working with the Department of Education, will hand out these competitive awards. The money is strictly for evidence-based peer support activities in secondary schools. Think of it as seed money for creating student-run support networks, where peers are trained to be the first line of defense, not the last. The funds can cover training for students and adult supervisors on appropriate response and recovery support.

Who Gets the Money and Who Stays on Watch?

Only government entities—States, local subdivisions, territories, or Tribal organizations—can apply for these grants, which means the funding is channeled through existing public systems. Crucially, any program funded this way must be supervised by a professional mental health staff member working at the school. This is a key safeguard: it ensures that while students are offering support, there’s a trained adult making sure the activities are safe and appropriate. For parents and students, this means that the peer support system won't be operating in a vacuum, but will be integrated into the professional services already offered.

Privacy and the Clock is Ticking

One thing the bill makes crystal clear is that student privacy rules must be followed to the letter. Any records collected must comply with Section 444 of the General Education Provisions Act—better known as FERPA. This is important for everyone involved; it ensures that seeking help, even from a peer, doesn't lead to unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information. The only catch? This entire pilot program is on a strict timeline, set to automatically end on September 30, 2029. This means it’s a trial run, and its success will largely depend on the robust evaluation required by the bill.

Measuring What Matters

The Assistant Secretary is required to rigorously evaluate the program. They must track participation rates, what training was actually delivered, and whether these peer support activities actually improved student mental health outcomes compared to other methods. They also need to check how well the program connects students to professional care. This required reporting to Congress (specifically the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, and the House Committees on Energy and Commerce and Education and Workforce) means the results will be public and policymakers will have data to decide if this model works well enough to continue or expand after the 2029 sunset date.