California Attorney General Rob Bonta has joined a group of 18 attorneys general in urging the U.S. Department of Education not to impose new limits on schools’ abilities to address students’ mental health needs. The coalition submitted a comment letter warning that proposed changes to the School-Based Mental Health Services Grant Program (SBMH) and the Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration Grant Program (MHSP) could create administrative hurdles for school districts seeking grant funding.
Attorney General Bonta stated, “The Trump Administration should be doing everything in its power to support the well-being of our students — particularly those who need mental health services the most. Tragically, it is not. My fellow attorneys general and I are already in court defending the two grant programs at issue, and with our comment letter, we are doubling down on our efforts to ensure students in our states can benefit from these programs that are critical to students’ well-being, safety, and academic success. We will continue holding the Trump Administration accountable until it reverses course and follows the law.”
Congress established MHSP in 2018 and SBMH in 2020 following several school shootings as part of an effort to increase access to mental health services for students nationwide. MHSP aims to address shortages of school-based mental health professionals by providing multi-year grants that help expand training pipelines through partnerships between higher education institutions and local education agencies. SBMH provides grants designed to boost hiring and retention of mental health service providers within schools.
The ultimate goal for both programs is to add approximately 14,000 more mental health professionals into schools across the country. In California alone, 44 universities and local education agencies currently receive essential funding through these initiatives.
In their letter, the attorneys general expressed concern about several aspects of the Department’s proposed changes:
– The proposal would limit funding exclusively to services provided by “school psychologists,” potentially excluding other qualified professionals such as counselors or social workers.
– A new requirement would prohibit use of program funds for activities perceived as promoting or endorsing gender ideology, political activism, racial stereotyping, or hostile environments based on race. The coalition argues this restriction is vague and may conflict with constitutional protections against conditioning federal aid on unclear terms.
– There is concern that these requirements could clash with grantees’ existing legal obligations under civil rights laws if interpreted as restricting efforts to support certain student populations.
The coalition calls on the Department of Education to revise its priorities and requirements so they align with existing law.
Other states joining California include Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island and Washington.
A copy of the comment letter can be found here.
