,i  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #ebjd  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,november #bj1       
#bjai,ms4 ,porter 7for herself1 ,mr4    
,courtney1 and ,ms4 ,mucarsel-,powell7  
introduced the following bill2 which was
 referred to the ,committee on          
,education and ,labor  ,a ,,bill  ,to   
direct the ,secretary of ,education to  
study student mental health at          
institutions of higher education and to 
issue guidance on compliance with the   
,americans with ,disabilities ,act for  
mental health and substance use disorder
 policies of institutions of higher     
education1 and for other purposes4  #a4 
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,student ,mental ,health ,rights    
,act4  #b4 ,findings ,congress finds the
 following3  7#a7 ,nearly all           
institutions of higher education are    
subject to-- 7,a7 the ,americans with   
,disabilities ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #abaja
 et seq472  7,b7 section #ejd of the    
,rehabilitation ,act of #aigc 7#bi      

,u4,s4,c4 #gid72 or  7,c7 the ,fair     
,housing ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #cfja et   
seq474  7#b7 ,the laws described in     
paragraph 7#a7 prohibit discrimination  
on the basis of disability1 defined as  
with respect to an individual1 a        
physical or mental impairment that      
substantially limits one or more major  
life activities of such individual1 a   
record of such an impairment1 or being  
regarded as having such an impairment   
under section #c7a7 of the ,americans   
with ,disabilities ,act of #aiij 7#db   
,u4,s4,c4 #abajb7a774  7#c7 ,under      
section #b7;a77#c7 of the ,americans    
with ,disabilities ,act of #aiij 7#db   
,u4,s4,c4 #abaja7;a77#c771 ,congress    
found that discrimination against       
individuals with disabilities persists  
in such critical areas as employment1   
housing1 public accommodations1         
education1 transportation1              
communication1 recreation1              
institutionalization1 health services1  
voting1 and access to public services4  

7#d7 ,the laws described in paragraph   
7#a7 prohibit institutions of higher    
education from discriminating against   
students with disabilities1 including by
 failing to provide reasonable          
accommodations or reasonable            
modifications to such students so that  
such students are able to fully         
participate in university life4  7#e7   
,the laws described in paragraph 7#a7   
prohibit institutions of higher         
education from discriminating against   
students with a mental health           
disabilities1 including by failing to   
provide the reasonable accommodations or
 reasonable modifications to such a     
student4  7#f7 ,the vast majority of    
institutions of higher education lack a 
comprehensive plan for addressing and   
preventing discrimination against       
students with mental health disabilities
 or who are experiencing crises1 in many
 cases--  7,a7 requiring such students  
to leave the institution of higher      
education2  7,b7 evicting such students 

from on-campus housing2 and  7,c7       
establishing excessive and unnecessary  
impediments to the return of such       
students to the institution of higher   
education4  #c4 ,study  7a7 ,requirement
 ,not later than ,june #cj1 #bjba1 the  
,secretary shall complete a study on    
mental health conditions and substance  
use conditions including--  7#a7 the    
prevalence of such conditions among     
students at institutions of higher      
education and policies to support       
students with respect to such           
conditions2  7#b7 the policies of       
institutions of higher education with   
respect to students considering a leave 
of absence or return from absence due to
 such conditions2 and  7#c7 best        
practices for supporting students at    
institutions of higher education in     
making decisions regarding the          
management of such conditions1 including
 the effect such practices have on      
graduation rates and degree completion4 
7b7 ,report ,the ,secretary shall submit

 to the ,house ,committee on ,education 
and ,labor a report on the findings of  
the study required by subsection 7a74   
#d4 ,guidance ,not later than ,june #cj1
 #bjba1 the ,secretary shall1 in        
consultation with the ,assistant        
,attorney ,general of the ,civil ,rights
 ,division of the ,department of        
,justice1 issue guidance on--  7#a7 the 
compliance of institutions of higher    
education with the ,americans with      
,disabilities ,act of #aiij 7#db        
,u4,s4,c4 #abaja et seq47 with respect  
to students with mental health          
conditions2  7#b7 the legal obligations 
of institutions of higher education with
 respect to accommodating students with 
mental health conditions and students   
with substance use conditions2 and  7#c7
 policies of institutions of higher     
education which may have a disparate    
impact on students with mental health   
conditions and students with substance  
use conditions4  #e4 ,definitions  7a7  
,institution of ,higher ,education ,the 

term institution of higher education has
 the meaning given that term in section 
#aja7;a7 of the ,higher ,education ,act 
of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajja7;a774  7b7
 ,secretary ,the term ,secretary means  
the ,secretary of ,education4