WASHINGTON, DC — This week, Rep. Pete Aguilar voted for the Mental Health Matters Act (H.R. 7780), which provides commonsense solutions to help students, educators and families confront our nation’s ongoing mental health crisis. This bill take several wide-ranging steps to strengthen behavior health care in schools and expand access for substance use disorder benefits for families.

“Our students and educators are still struggling with the impact the pandemic had on their mental health,” said Rep. Aguilar. “We need to ensure our teachers, staff and students know we support them while giving them the necessary tools to help them thrive.”

The Mental Health Matter Act directs the Department of Education to create grants that would build a network of school-based mental health service providers and increase the number of these professionals in high-need areas across the country. This bill also creates a grant program to expand access for students to evidence-based trauma support and mental health services by developing connections between schools and local education agencies. Additionally, this legislation requires the Department of Health and Human Services to develop and implement evidence-based interventions for Head Start programs to improve the mental health of staff and children.

Rep. Aguilar serves as Vice Chair of the House Democratic Caucus and as a member of the House Committee on Appropriations, the Committee on House Administration and the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the US Capitol.

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