Supporting Trauma-Informed Education Practices Act of 2026

Increased Access to Mental Health Services: The bill allows for the development of programs that connect schools with community trauma-symptom and mental health systems, increasing access for students, teachers, and school personnel (Section 2, subsection a-1).

Improved Learning Environments: Funds can be used for professional development to foster safe and stable learning environments through social and emotional learning (Section 2, subsection c-3-A).

Enhanced School Capacity: The bill provides for improving a school's ability to identify and refer students who need trauma-informed support or mental health services (Section 2, subsection c-3-B).

Support for Families and Communities: Programs can engage families and communities to increase awareness of child and youth trauma and provide coordinated care (Section 2, subsection c-5).

Support for Early Childhood: The bill allows for partnerships with early childhood education programs to provide prevention, referral, and treatment services to children and their families (Section 2, subsection c-7).

Mental Health for School Staff: The act includes provisions to establish programs that improve mental health and resiliency among teachers, school leaders, and other specialized instructional support personnel (Section 2, subsection c-8).

Equitable Distribution: The Secretary is required to ensure that awards are equitably distributed among different geographical regions and among tribal, urban, suburban, and rural populations (Section 2, subsection g).

Administrative and Evaluation Costs: A portion of the appropriated funds is reserved for evaluation (not more than 3 percent) and technical assistance and administration (not more than 2 percent) (Section 2, subsection a-2).

Requirement for Interagency Agreements: Entities receiving funds must establish local interagency agreements that specify financial responsibilities, conditions of service, and reimbursement procedures among various agencies (Section 2, subsection d-4-B and subsection e-2).