S.Amdt. 3175

SA 3175. Mr. PADILLA submitted an amendment intended to be proposed
by him to the bill S. 2296, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year
2026 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy,
to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

At the end of part I of subtitle F of title V, add the
following:

[[Page S4946]]

SEC. 560. PILOT PROGRAM ON PEER-TO-PEER MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT
PROGRAMS AT DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE EDUCATION
ACTIVITY HIGH SCHOOLS.

(a) In General.--Beginning in the first academic year to
begin after the date of the enactment of this Act, the
Secretary of Defense shall establish and implement a pilot
program to assess the feasibility and advisability of
establishing peer-to-peer mental health support programs for
students in covered DODEA schools.
(b) Locations.--The Secretary shall carry out the pilot
program required by subsection (a) in not fewer than 5
covered DODEA schools that the Secretary determines have
adequate mental health infrastructure in place to carry out
the pilot program, one of which shall be located outside the
United States.
(c) Parental Consent Required.--In carrying out the pilot
program required by subsection (a), the Secretary shall
ensure that a covered DODEA school participating in the pilot
program obtains the consent of the parents of any student who
participates in a peer-to-peer mental health support program
under the pilot program.
(d) Termination.--The pilot program required by subsection
(a) shall terminate on the date that is 2 years after the
commencement of the pilot program.
(e) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Covered dodea school.--The term ``covered DODEA
school'' means a high school operated by the Department of
Defense Education Activity within or outside the United
States.
(2) High school.--The term ``high school'' has the meaning
given that term in section 8101 of the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
(3) Peer-to-peer mental health support program.--The term
``peer-to-peer mental health support program'' means an
evidence-based intervention that trains students to become
peer support specialists and provide mental health support to
other students.
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