June 18, 2026
Mr. Blumenthal (for himself, Mr. Scott of South Carolina, Mr. Murphy, and Mr. Bennet) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to promote comprehensive campus mental health and suicide prevention plans, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Enhancing Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Through Campus Planning Act
.
Sec. 2. Encouraging campus comprehensive mental health and suicide prevention plans
Part L of title VIII of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1161l et seq.) is amended—
(1)
by redesignating section 826 as section 827; and
(2)
by inserting after section 825 the following new section:
826. Encouraging campus comprehensive mental health and suicide prevention plans
(a) Model plans
(1) In General
Beginning not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this section, the Secretary, in coordination with the Secretary of Health and Human Services (acting through the Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) shall develop and disseminate 1 or more evidence-based model mental health and suicide prevention action plans to serve as models for institutions of higher education that want to implement such plans. The Secretary shall ensure that those model plans are aligned with the evidence-based suicide prevention programs of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
(2) Updates
Not less frequently than once every 5 years, the Secretary shall update the model plans described in paragraph (1).
(b) Technical assistance
After developing and disseminating the model plans described in subsection (a), the Secretary, in coordination with the Secretary of Health and Human Services (acting through the Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration), shall provide technical assistance to institutions of higher education that want to implement comprehensive mental health and suicide prevention plans modeled after the model plans described in subsection (a). In providing such technical assistance, the Secretary—
(1)
shall take into consideration existing State efforts to address mental health and suicide prevention at institutions of higher education; and
(2)
may collaborate with nonprofit organizations, community-based organizations, student organizations, or other experts and stakeholders in the field of mental health and suicide prevention at institutions of higher education.
(c) Reports
The Secretary, or a designee of the Secretary, shall submit a report to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate, the Energy and Commerce Committee of the House of Representatives, and the Education and Workforce Committee of the House of Representatives on the activities of the Secretary carried out under this section—
(1)
not later than 1 year after the developing the first model plan described in subsection (a)(1); and
(2)
not later than 1 year after each update described in subsection (a)(2).
(d) Rule of Construction
Nothing in this section shall be construed as creating new legal requirements for institutions of higher education.