PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Referred to the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education.
Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in House · Mar 7, 2016
Support Our Students Act of 2016 or the S.O.S. Act of 2016
This bill amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to direct the Department of Education (ED) to award grants to states and, through them, subgrants to local educational agencies (LEAs) to support or develop programs that will train teachers, school personnel, and specialized instructional support personnel regarding mental health conditions in children.
To be eligible to receive such a grant or subgrant, a state or LEA must partner with a mental health organization, family advocacy organization, or community nonprofit organization.
Showing the opening paragraphs of the official summary.
Subgrantees shall utilize school counselors, school psychologists, school social workers, or community organizations with experience in mental illness and suicide prevention to develop and conduct the training.
The training program must include an annual in-service training component that enables teachers, school personnel, and specialized instructional support personnel to: (1) better understand mental health conditions and the early warning signs in children and adolescents; (2) effectively communicate their mental health concerns with families and consider family perspectives; (3) identify classroom strategies for working effectively with troubled children; and (4) understand school-specific information, including links to mental health services and supports in the school and community.
ED shall develop outcome measures for in-depth evaluation of the effectiveness of the training programs.
People & committees
Rep. Beatty, Joyce [D-OH-3] · D–OH
Legislative record
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Referred to the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education.
Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
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No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.
Source last updated: Mar 23, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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