,i  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #cdhi  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,june #be1 #bjai,mr4 
,trone 7for himself1 ,ms4 ,wild1 ,mr4   
,joyce of ,pennsylvania1 ,ms4 ,shalala1 
and ,mr4 ,fitzpatrick7 introduced the   
following bill2 which was referred to   
the ,committee on ,education and ,labor 
,a ,,bill  ,to authorize the ,secretary 
of ,education to establish an ,advisory 
,commission on ,serving and ,supporting 
,students with ,mental ,health          
,disabilities in ,institutions of       
,higher ,education1 and for other       
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,higher ,education  
,mental ,health ,act of #bjai4  #b4     
,findings and ,purposes  7a7 ,findings  
,congress finds the following3  7#a7    
,more than #ge percent of mental health 
conditions begin before the age of #bd4 
7#b7 ,more than #be percent of students 
between the ages of #ah and #bd reported
 a mental health concern4  7#c7 ,more   
than #ej percent of students between the

 ages of #ah and #bd reported having a  
severe psychological problem4  7#d7     
,more than #ej percent of students      
between the ages of #ah and #bd reported
 feelings of hopelessness4  7#e7 ,higher
 education counseling centers are       
devoting more time to rapid-response    
treatment with more than #be percent of 
students who sought help reporting they 
had intentionally hurt themselves4  7#f7
 ,over a #e-year period1 counseling     
center utilization increased by an      
average of #cj to #dj percent1 while    
enrollment increased by only #e percent1
 forcing institutions to stretch mental 
health services to more students without
 increasing resources4  7b7 ,purposes   
,the purposes of this ,act are the      
following3 7#a7 ,to ensure ,states and  
institutions of higher education are    
provided with accurate information on   
the mental health concerns facing       
students4  7#b7 ,to provide detailed    
recommendations that institutions of    
higher education1 ,states1 and the      

,federal ,government can take to improve
 the mental health services available to
 students and properly treat the rising 
number of students with mental health   
issues4  #c4 ,advisory ,commission on   
,serving and ,supporting ,students with 
,mental ,health ,disabilities in        
,institutions of ,higher ,education  7a7
 ,in general ,the ,secretary of         
,education shall establish a commission 
to be known as the ,advisory ,commission
 on ,serving and ,supporting ,students  
with ,mental ,health ,disabilities in   
,institutions of ,higher ,education     
7referred to in this section as the     
,commission74  7b7 ,membership  7#a7    
,total number of members ,the           
,commission shall include not more than 
#bj members1 who shall be appointed by  
the ,secretary of ,education in         
accordance with paragraphs 7#b7 and     
7#c74  7#b7 ,members of the commission  
,the ,commission shall include #a       
representative from each of the         
following3  7,a7 ,the ,office of        

,postsecondary ,education of the        
,department of ,education4  7,b7 ,the   
,office of ,special ,education and      
,rehabilitation ,services of the        
,department of ,education4  7,c7 ,the   
,office of ,civil ,rights of the        
,department of ,education4  7,d7 ,the   
,office of ,civil ,rights of the        
,department of ,justice4  7,e7 ,the     
,national ,council on ,disability4  7,f7
 ,a membership association for          
administrative and personnel            
professionals focused on creating an    
inclusive higher education environment  
for individuals with disabilities1 as   
determined by the ,secretary4  7,g7 ,an 
organization that represents the        
,protection and ,advocacy for           
,individuals with ,mental ,illness      
program1 as determined by the           
,secretary4  7,h7 ,an organization      
operated by and representing secondary  
and postsecondary education students    
with mental health disabilities         
advocating for mental health services   

and suicide prevention4  7,i7 ,an       
organization representing college and   
university counseling directors4  7#c7  
,additional members of the commission   
,in addition to the members included    
under paragraph 7#b71 the ,commission   
shall include the following3  7,a7 ,four
 members from leadership of institutions
 of higher education who have           
demonstrated experience in successfully 
supporting the retention and graduation 
of students with mental health          
disabilities1 including from counseling 
and psychiatric services staff4 ,with   
respect to such #d members1 #a member   
shall be a staff member of a #b-year    
degree-granting institution of higher   
education1 #a member shall be a staff   
member from a #d-year degree-granting   
institution of higher education1 #a     
member shall be a member of campus law  
enforcement1 and #a member shall serve  
as a general counsel4 ,such #d members  
shall represent institutions of         
differing sizes4  7,b7 ,three members   

from family members of individuals who  
are--  7i7 enrolled in an institution of
 higher education on the date such      
family member is appointed to the       
,commission2 or  7ii7 former students   
with a mental health disability4  7,c7  
,four members from individuals with     
mental health disabilities1 including   
not less than #b individuals enrolled in
 an institution of higher education on  
the date of appointment to the          
,commission4 ,any remaining member shall
 be an individual with a mental health  
disability who has attended an          
institution of higher education4  7#d7  
,timing ,the ,secretary of ,education   
shall establish the ,commission and     
appoint the members of the ,commission  
not later than #fj days after the date  
of enactment of this ,act4  7c7         
,chairperson and vice chairperson ,the  
,commission shall select a chairperson  
and vice chairperson from among the     
members of the ,commission4 ,either the 
chairperson or the vice chairperson     

shall be a student or former student    
with a mental health disability4  7d7   
,meetings  7#a7 ,in general ,the        
,commission shall meet at the call of   
the chairperson1 but not less often than
 #h times4  7#b7 ,first meeting ,not    
later than #fj days after the           
appointment of the members of the       
,commission under subsection 7b71 the   
,commission shall hold the ,commission's
 first meeting4  7e7 ,duties ,the       
,commission shall conduct a study1 using
 the highest quality and most           
representative data and research        
available1 and prepare a report for the 
,secretary of ,education that includes  
the following3  7#a7 ,findings from     
stakeholders1 including through         
solicitation of public testimony1       
related to the challenges faced by      
students with mental health disabilities
 in institutions of higher education1   
including-- 7,a7 the services available 
to students with mental health          
disabilities in institutions of higher  

education and their effectiveness in    
supporting these students2  7,b7 the    
impact of policies and procedures that  
help or hinder the goal of providing    
equal opportunity for students with     
mental health disabilities1 such as     
reasonable accommodation policies1      
mandatory and voluntary leave policies1 
and disciplinary policies2  7,c7 the use
 of protected health information of     
students with mental health disabilities
 by institutions of higher education1   
including the extent to which           
campus-based mental health providers    
share this information with college or  
university officials without student    
consent2 and  7,d7 the impact of        
providing mental health services on a   
student's academic performance1         
well-being1 and ability to complete     
college4  7#b7 ,conclusions on the major
 challenges facing students with mental 
health disabilities in institutions of  
higher education4  7#c7 ,recommendations
 to improve the overall education1 and  

retention and graduation rates1 of      
students with mental health disabilities
 in institutions of higher education1   
with the goal of helping these students 
access educational opportunities equal  
to those of their non-disabled peers4   
7f7 ,commission personnel matters  7#a7 
,travel expenses ,the members of the    
,commission shall not receive           
compensation for the performance of     
services for the ,commission1 but shall 
be allowed reasonable travel expenses1  
including per diem in lieu of           
subsistence1 at rates authorized for    
employees of agencies under subchapter  
,i of chapter #eg of title #e1 ,united  
,states ,code1 while away from their    
homes or regular places of business in  
the performance of services for the     
,commission4 ,notwithstanding section   
#acdb of title #ca1 ,united ,states     
,code1 the ,secretary of ,education may 
accept the voluntary and uncompensated  
services of members of the ,commission4 
7#b7 ,staff ,the ,secretary of          

,education may designate such personnel 
as may be necessary to enable the       
,commission to perform its duties4  7#c7
 ,detail of government employees ,any   
,federal ,government employee1 with the 
approval of the head of the appropriate 
,federal agency1 may be detailed to the 
,commission without reimbursement1 and  
such detail shall be without            
interruption of loss of civil service   
status or privilege4  7#d7 ,facilities1 
equipment1 and services ,the ,secretary 
of ,education shall make available to   
the ,commission1 under such arrangements
 as may be appropriate1 necessary       
equipment1 supplies1 and services4  7g7 
,reports  7#a7 ,interim and final       
reports ,the ,commission shall prepare  
and submit to the ,secretary of         
,education1 as well as the ,committee on
 ,health1 ,education1 ,labor1 and       
,pensions of the ,senate and the        
,committee on ,education and ,labor of  
the ,house of ,representatives--  7,a7  
an interim report that summarizes the   

progress of the ,commission1 along with 
any interim findings1 conclusions1 and  
recommendations as described in         
subsection 7e72 and  7,b7 a final report
 that states final findings1            
conclusions1 and recommendations as     
described in subsection 7e74  7#b7      
,preparation and submission ,the reports
 described in paragraph 7#a7 shall be   
prepared and submitted-- 7,a7 in the    
case of the interim report1 not later   
than #a year after the date on which all
 the members of the ,commission are     
appointed2 and  7,b7 in the case of the 
final report1 not later than #b years   
after the date on which all the members 
of the ,commission are appointed4  7h7  
,termination ,the ,commission shall     
terminate on the day after the date on  
which the ,commission submits the final 
report under subsection 7g74  #d4 ,,gao 
study ,not later than #ah months after  
the date of the enactment of this ,act1 
the ,comptroller ,general of the ,united
 ,states shall submit to ,congress a    

report that examines the challenges     
faced by students with mental health    
disabilities in institutions of higher  
education1 including-- 7#a7 the services
 available to students with mental      
health disabilities in institutions of  
higher education and their effectiveness
 in supporting these students2  7#b7 the
 impact of policies and procedures that 
help or hinder the goal of providing    
equal opportunity for students with     
mental health disabilities1 such as     
reasonable accommodation policies1      
mandatory and voluntary leave policies1 
and disciplinary policies2  7#c7 the use
 of protected health information of     
students with mental health disabilities
 by institutions of higher education1   
including the extent to which           
campus-based mental health providers    
share this information with college or  
university officials without student    
consent2  7#d7 the impact of providing  
mental health services on a student's   
academic performance1 well-being1 and   

ability to complete college2  7#e7      
conclusions on the major challenges     
facing students with mental health      
disabilities in institutions of higher  
education2 and  7#f7 recommendations to 
improve the overall education1 and      
retention and graduation rates1 of      
students with mental health disabilities
 in institutions of higher education1   
with the goal of helping these students 
access educational opportunities equal  
to those of their non-disabled peers4