Legislative Updates
Federal Legislative Alert
(Friday, March 14, 2008)
Contact Senators Landrieu and Vitter Today!!!
Ask Your Senators to Co-Sign Wyden-Coleman Letter on Mental Health
& Addictive Disorder Parity
Now that both the House and Senate have passed their respective
version of mental health and addictive disorder parity legislation
(H.R. 1424 and S. 558), ACA and other advocates are turning up the
pressure for enactment of as strong a parity bill as possible this
year.
Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Norm Coleman (R-MN) are working on
this from the "inside," too. The Senators have drafted a letter to
Senate Majority Leader Reid and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell
urging the resolution of differences between the two bills. The
Senators write:
"It is long overdue to finish the work started by Senators Pete
Domenici and Paul Wellstone in 1996. Now that the House and Senate
have passed their bills, millions of Americans with mental illness
and addiction and their families are counting on us to put aside
our differences and come to a bipartisan agreement. We should not
let any of the differences between theses two landmark pieces of
legislation prevent the U.S. Congress from finishing this important
job.
"In sending this letter, we want to express our strong support for
the intent of both these bills and let you know that we stand ready
to work together to end the discrimination against people suffering
with mental illness and addiction."
Counselors are encouraged to call their Senators to ask them to
sign on to the Wyden-Coleman parity letter. We need to demonstrate
to Senate leaders that their constituents want a strong parity bill
enacted. The deadline for signing on is March 17th 2008, so please
call your Senators by the end of the week!
Sen. Mary Landrieu Senator David Vitter
Phone: (202) 224-5824 Phone: (202) 224-4623
Fax: (202) 224-9735 Fax: (202) 228-5061
www.landrieu.senate.gov
www.vitter.senate.gov
For more information, contact:
Scott Barstow
Director of Public Policy and Legislation
American Counseling Association
5999 Stevenson Avenue
Alexandria, VA 22304
703.823.9800 x234
703.405.9711 (cell)
703.823.0252 (fax)
800.347.6647 x234
703.823.6828 TDD
sbarstow@counseling.org
www.counseling.org
ACA UPDATE: Anti-Bullying Bill Introduced - Aug. 5,
2007
This week, Representative Linda Sanchez (D-CA) introduced
bipartisan legislation, the Safe Schools Improvement Act of
2007 (H.R. 3132), that would increase school
safety and improve student achievement by comprehensively
addressing the issues of bullying and harassment. A similar
bill was introduced in the last Congress by Representatives Danny
Davis (D-IL) and John Shimkus (R-IL).
H.R. 3132 would amend the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and
Communities Act (Title IV of the No Child Left Behind Act) to
require schools and districts that receive SDFSA funds to ensure
that their codes of conduct specifically prohibit bullying and
harassment, and that states include bullying and harassment data in
their state-wide needs assessments reporting just as districts
include such data in their plans to address school safety.
Current federal law provides important federal support ($346.5
million in 2007) to promote school safety, but does not
comprehensively and expressly focus on issues of bullying or
harassment.
Specifically, H.R. 3132 would allow funds under SDFSA to be used
to train school counselors, among others, in "strategies to prevent
bullying and harassment and to effectively intervene when such
incidents occur." Unfortunately, the bill would not
authorize any new funds to carry out bullying and harassment
prevention programs, as it is meant to operate within the existing
SDFSA state/local grant program, ensuring an express focus on
preventing bullying and harassment as part of school safety.
Thus, it is essential to urge members of Congress to fully fund
SDFSA to cover this and other vital school safety programs.
This bill addresses the recommendations contained in the policy
statement recently released by members of the National Safe
Schools Partnership, of which ACA is a member. The policy
statement, Bridging the Gap in Federal Law: Promoting Safe
Schools and Improved Student Achievement by Preventing Bullying and
Harassment in Our Schools, reflect consensus based on research
and long-standing experience among education, civil rights, health,
youth services and law enforcement organizations.
Contact your Representative and ask him/her to co-sponsor (see a list of current co-sponsors
here) and support H.R. 3132, which would allow school
districts to use federal Safe and Drug-Free Schools funds to
prevent bullying and harassment. To send a message to your
Representative on this issue, go to: http://capwiz.com/counseling/home/.
For more information on this issue, contact Chris Campbell in
ACA's Office of Public Policy and Legislation at (800) 347-6647
x-241 or by e-mail at ccampbell@counseling.org.
Anti-bullying Resources:
ACA UPDATE: House Passes Student Aid Bill: Includes Loan
Forgiveness for Counselors! - July 12, 2007
This week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed sweeping
legislation that would make some of the biggest changes in
student-aid policy in a generation by slashing nearly $19-billion
in government subsidies to lenders and using the savings to expand
federal assistance to students, make college loans more affordable,
and reduce the federal deficit. The bill, H.R. 2669, the "College Cost Reduction Act of
2007," passed by a vote of 273 to 149.
The legislation, a "budget reconciliation" measure, would cut
government subsidies to lenders by a little over half a percentage
point and raise the maximum Pell Grant award by $500 over four
years. It would also reduce by half the interest rate on federal
student loans for undergraduates over five years, and make several
changes aimed at helping borrowers who have taken on large amounts
of debt, including providing loan forgiveness for
counselors!
H.R. 2669 includes a manager's amendment that specifically adds
school counselors who work full-time in a
low-income (i.e., Title 1) school to a list of individuals eligible
for limited federal student loan forgiveness under the Higher
Education Act. The amendment was sponsored by Rep. George Miller
(D-CA) who chairs the House Education and Labor Committee.
Under the House bill, an "eligible borrower" would receive up to a
maximum of $5,000 in loan forgiveness for an outstanding Federal
Stafford Loan or Federal Direct Stafford Loan, on a first-come,
first-served basis, and subject to the availability of
appropriations. "An eligible borrower" is defined as someone with
NO outstanding balance on a FFEL or Direct Loan as of the date of
enactment of the law, and who has been employed full-time for at
least 5 consecutive, complete school, academic, or calendar years
as a school counselor in a Title 1 school.
In addition, H.R. 2669 would provide loan forgiveness for
eligible Federal Direct Loans borrowers who have been "public
sector" employees for 10 years AND made 120 income contingent
payments on their Direct Loans. The bill defines a "public sector"
job as a full-time job in:
- education (including early childhood education),
- public health,
- emergency management,
- government,
- public safety,
- law enforcement,
- social work in a public child or family service agency, or
- public interest legal services (including prosecution or public
defense).
The Senate version of the bill--the Higher Education Access
Act-- has cleared the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP)
Committee, but has not been addressed by the full Senate. The
Senate bill contains enough critical differences that drafting an
eventual compromise bill between the two chambers could be
complicated. Those negotiations will probably take place this
fall.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Currently, counselors
cannot receive loan repayment as a result of the House
vote. The House-passed language must also be approved by the
Senate, signed into law by the president, outlined under
regulations developed by the U.S. Department of Education, and
funded by Congress before any money can be disbursed.
ACA UPDATE: Senate Spending Panel Approves $40
Million for School Counseling Program - June 22, 2007
Yesterday, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved a
spending bill for the departments of Labor, Health and Human
Services, and Education (Labor-HHS-ED) for fiscal year 2008.
The Senate measure would fund the Elementary and Secondary School
Counseling Program (ESSCP) at $40 million for next year. Although
this amount is $5.35 million more than the current year's
allocation of $34.7 million, it is $21.5 million less than the
figure approved by the House Appropriations Subcommittee on June
7th (see June 11th ACA Latest News).
It in unclear at this time when the full Senate will take up the
Labor-HHS-Ed funding bill. Appropriations staff have said the
bill will most likely reach the Senate floor in July. The
timeframe for action after that is uncertain given the tight
Congressional calendar and competing legislative priorities.
The House Appropriations Committee still must approve its
Labor-HHS-ED bill before it can advance to the House floor.
The House Appropriations Committee mark up has been postponed
indefinitely. Another possible monkey wrench is President Bush's
threats to veto any spending bill that exceeds his budget
request. So stay tuned….
As the appropriations process moves forward, ACA will work to
urge House and Senate members charged with reconciling their
chambers' spending bills to support the House-approved funding
level of $61.5 million for ESSCP.
In the meantime, counselors are urged to take action by going to
our Legislative Action Center: http://capwiz.com/counseling to
send a message to your Senators and Representative to urge them to
support the House-approved funding level of $61.5 million for ESSCP
in the final Labor, Health and Human Services and Education
appropriations bill for fiscal year 2008. For more
information, contact Chris Campbell at 800-347-6647, ext. 241, or
by e-mail at: ccampbell@counseling.org.
ACA UPDATE: House Panel Approves Big Increase
for School Counseling Program! - June 8, 2007
Yesterday, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor,
Health and Human Services, and Education (Labor-HHS-ED) approved a
spending measure that would boost funding for the Elementary and
Secondary School Counseling Program (ESSCP) to $61.5
million
for fiscal year 2008. This is a $26.85 million increase over
last year, and the highest funding level yet for the program!
(Last year, the same House panel-albeit under Republican
leadership-approved only $22 million for the program.)
Funding the ESSCP at $61.5 million would, for the first time,
allow support for counseling services in middle and high
schools. Currently funded at $34.65 million, the ESSCP
provides funds only for elementary schools (e.g., K-5) because the
statutory trigger of $40 million has never been met. Funds
beyond $40 million, the base amount for elementary programs, may
then be used in middle and high schools. Under the House
panel spending measure, $21.5 million would now be available for
secondary schools beginning in school year 2008-09. To read
the Subcommittee's press release, go to: http://appropriations.house.gov/pdf/FY%202008%20LHHS%20Appropriations%20Subcommittee%20Markup.pdf
Next Steps
It's important to keep in mind that passage of the Labor-HHS-ED
spending bill by the House panel is merely the first step in the
annual appropriations process. The full House Appropriations
Committee is scheduled to approve the Labor-HHS-ED appropriations
bill on June 14
th, with the bill scheduled to go to House floor for a vote the
following week. The Senate will repeat the same process in
the coming month (i.e., subcommittee mark-up, full committee
mark-up, passage by the full Senate), and then the final bill must
go to the president for his signature. The White House has
stated that the president would veto any spending bills, which
exceed his budget request. So stay tuned….
We are very pleased that the House Labor-HHS-ED Appropriations
Subcommittee chose to ignore President Bush's request to eliminate
all funding for the school counseling program, as proposed in his
FY 2008 budget released in February. As the appropriations process
moves forward, ACA will work to urge members of Congress to support
a final funding level of $61.5 million for the ESSCP.
ACA has been spearheading the fight for more funding for the
ESSCP, and we've joined other organization in lobbying members of
the House and Senate appropriations committees responsible for
education funding. However, your support is what made the
difference. In the last four months, ACA members have sent
nearly 1,500 e-mails and letters to members of Congress and the
Administration urging them to increase funding for ESSCP. We
are convinced that grassroots lobbying by ACA members and others
helped save the program from elimination, and contributed to the
potential, historic funding increase. Thank you, and keep up
the good work!
Go to: http://capwiz.com/counseling
to send a message to your Senators and Representative to urge them
to support a funding level of $61.5 million for the ESSCP in the
final FY 2008 Labor, Health and Human Services and Education
appropriations bill.
Say Thank You
Members of Congress need (and like) to hear when they have done
something good. If your member of Congress is on the House
Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor-HHS-Education (see list
below), please take a moment to send him/her a thank you note for
supporting the school counseling program. Go to the ACA legislative
action center at www.capwiz.com/counseling
to send a message now.
House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and
Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
Dave Obey (WI), Chair
Nita M. Lowey (NY)
Rosa L. DeLauro (CT)
Jesse L. Jackson, Jr. (IL)
Patrick J. Kennedy (RI)
Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA)
Barbara Lee (CA)
Tom Udall (NM)
Michael Honda (CA)
Betty McCollum (MN)
Tim Ryan (OH)
James T. Walsh (NY), Ranking Member
Ralph Regula (OH)
John E. Peterson (PA)
Dave Weldon (FL)
Michael K. Simpson (ID)
Dennis R. Rehberg (MT)
For more information, visit the ACA Public Policy web site at http://www.counseling.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=PUBLIC_POLICY,
or contact Chris Campbell at (800) 347-6647 x-241 or e-mail ccampbell@counseling.org.
ACA UPDATE: Department of Education Announces
Grants for the Integration of Schools and Mental Health Systems
The U.S. Department of Education, Office of Safe and Drug-Free
Schools, announced in the March 26, 2007, Federal Register that it
is accepting new applications for the 2006-07 school year for the
Grants for the Integration of Schools and Mental Health
Systems.
The Grants for the Integration of Schools and Mental Health
Systems provide funds to state educational agencies (SEAs), local
educational agencies (LEAs), and Indian tribes to increase student
access to high-quality mental health care by developing innovative
approaches that link school systems with the local mental health
system. Funds may be used to enhance, improve, or develop
collaborative efforts between school-based service systems and
mental health service systems to provide, enhance, or improve
prevention, diagnosis, referral, and treatment services to
students; enhance the availability of crisis intervention services;
provide training for school personnel and mental health
professionals; and provide technical assistance and consultation to
school systems, mental health agencies, and families.
Award Information
Applications Available: March 26, 2007.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: May 15, 2007.
Eligible Applicants: State educational agencies (SEAs), local
educational agencies (LEAs), and Indian tribes.
Estimated Available Funds: $4,521,346.
Estimated Range of Awards: $150,000-$350,000.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $250,000.
Estimated Number of Awards: 18.
Application Information
To Request Application Package: Education Publications Center
(ED Pubs), P.O. Box 1398, Jessup, MD 20794-1398. Telephone (toll
free): 1-877-433-7827. FAX: (301) 470-1244. If you use a
telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may call (toll
free): 1-877-576-7734.
You may also contact ED Pubs at its Web site: http://www.ed.gov/pubs/edpubs.html, or you may
contact ED Pubs at its
e-mail address: edpubs@inet.ed.gov. If you
request an application from ED Pubs, be sure to identify this
competition as follows: CFDA number 84.215 M.
You may also download the application from the Department of
Education's Web site at: http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/grantapps/index.php
Applications for Grants for the Integration of Schools and
Mental Health Systems may be submitted electronically using the
Electronic Grant Application System (e-Application) accessible
through the Department's
e-Grants system at http://e-grants.ed.gov, or in paper format by
mail or hand delivery.
NOTE: Deadline for Transmittal of Applications:
May 15, 2007.
To see a list of the FY 2006 Grants for the Integration of
Schools and Mental Health Systems awardees, go to: http://www.ed.gov/programs/mentalhealth/fy2006awards.html.
For Further Information Contact: Dana Carr, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 3E242, FB-6, Washington,
DC 20202-6450. Telephone: (202) 260-0823 or by e-mail: dana.carr@ed.gov.
ACA UPDATE: National School Counseling
Week - February 5-9, 2007
On February 1st, the U.S. Senate approved a resolution by
unanimous consent designating the week of February 5 through
February 9, 2007, as "National School Counseling Week". The
resolution, S.RES.23
, was co-sponsored by Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Gordon Smith
(R-OR).
ACA recognizes school counselors as they celebrate "National
School Counseling Week." School counseling programs are an integral
part of the educational process that enables all students to
achieve success. Counselors help parents, teachers, and
administrators focus on ways to further the educational, personal
and social growth of children. School counselors are actively
committed to helping prepare each student to succeed in a diverse,
changing world by providing counseling support that is responsive
to each student's talents, interests, and challenges.
In honor of "National School Counseling Week," the ACA Office of
Public Policy and Legislation wants to remind you about the
following resources on our web site for school counselors:
Please contact Chris Campbell with ACA's Public Policy and
Legislation staff for more information at (800) 347-6647 x-241. For
more information on federal issues impacting school counselors,
visit www.counseling.org/public.
ACA UPDATE: Public Policy and Legislation Resources for Back to
School! September 2006
For many counselors, students, and parents, this time of year
means "back to school." Navigating the policies that affect school
counselors can be as daunting as the first day of school is to your
students. The ACA Office of Public Policy and Legislation (PPL) is
pleased to provide the following policy-related education resources
for school counselors. All resources can be viewed online at:
http://www.counseling.org/PublicPolicy/TP/ResourcesAndReports/CT2.aspx.
(Note: some resources are Members Only-ACA username and password
required). Non-members can order resources from ACA Member Services
at (800) 347-6647,x222.
- What is a School Counselor: A Resource Guide for
Parents and Students: This online brochure provides a quick
overview of the role and value of school counselors.
- Effectiveness of School Counseling: This
online brochure is a collection of research sources that addresses
the effectiveness of school counseling services, including their
contribution to the personal and academic success of students.
- No Child Left Behind: Sources of Funding that Support School
Counseling and Mental Health Services (Members Only) Read more... This guide provides an overview
of provisions in NCLB that allow use of funds for mental health and
counseling services. This publication costs $5 for
non-members.
- A Guide to State Laws and Regulations on Professional School
Counseling (Members Only) Read more...The latest on state certification
requirements and counseling mandates; updated annually. This
publication costs $10 for non-members.
- An Overview of School Based Mental Services:
This online brochure provides an overview of what school-based
mental health services are, and who provides these services.
- Facts about School Mental Health Services: A
two-pager of research-based data supporting the need for
school-based mental health services.
- Student-to-Counselor Ratios by State (U.S. Schools
Overall)
- Student-to-Counselor Ratios by State (U.S.
Elementary Schools) & Student-to-Counselor Ratios by State (U.S.
Secondary Schools): These charts show state and national
student-to-school counselor ratios, based on data from the U.S.
Department of Education's National Center for Education
Statistics.
- Federal Information Resources for Professional Counselors
(Members Only) Read more... A sourcebook of free and low-cost
resources to support and enrich your work as a professional
counselor. This publication costs $10 for non-members.
- Getting a Grant: Sources of Funding and How to Pursue Them
(Members Only) Read more... This publication provides an
excellent introduction to grant writing and sources of grant
funding, including a review of many of the grant opportunities
available through various federal government agencies. This
publication costs $10 for non-members.
- Effective Advocacy and Communication with
Legislators: Learn how to advocate most effectively for your
profession on the local, state, and national levels.
Please contact Christie Lum with ACA's Public Policy and
Legislation staff for more information at (800) 347-6647 x-354, or
by e-mail
clum@counseling.org. For more
information on federal issues impacting school counselors, visit
www.counseling.org/public.
ACA UPDATE: ACA Part of Coalition Taking NCLB
Reauthorization Proposals to Hill
The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), commonly
known as "No Child Left Behind (NCLB)," is due to expire in 2007.
Congress must reauthorize-or revise-- the federal statute. NCLB is
the major law establishing federal aid to elementary and secondary
schools. NCLB-authorized programs provide services such as guidance
counseling, mental health services, violence prevention activities,
academic advisement, and professional development funding.
Although the NCLB is not expected to be formally reauthorized
until after the 2008 presidential election, Congress has begun
holding hearings and staff has begun discussions on the topic. In
order to get a "jump-start" on reauthorization process, ACA
lobbyist Chris Campbell, along with colleagues from the School
Social Workers Association of America, and the Speech
Language-Hearing Association, representing the National Alliance of
Pupil Services Organizations (NAPSO), have begun meeting with
key Congressional staff charged with the reauthorization of the
NCLB. The purpose of the meetings is to discuss NAPSO's principles
for reauthorization of the NCLB and the important role of pupil
services personnel.
NAPSO principles for the reauthorization of NCLB include:
- Clarifying terminology, definitions and roles of pupil/related
services personnel.
- Establishing an office of Specialized Instructional Support
within the US DOE.
- Pupil services personnel should be viewed and included, under
the ESEA, as essential members of the school staff.
To read the full document: NAPSO's "Principles for the
Reauthorization of ESEA," go to: http://www.napso.org/pspNAPSOPrinciples.html.
ACA UPDATE: 2006-07 School Counseling Program Grant Recipients
Named
The U.S. Department of Education (ED) has announced the
Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Program (ESSCP) grant
recipients for the 2006-2007 school year. For a complete list of
the awardees, go to: http://www.ed.gov/programs/elseccounseling/awards.html.
For the 2006-2007 school year, ED is awarding just over $17
million in new ESSCP grant funds to 49 school districts in 21
states to improve elementary school counseling programs. Due to the
program's statutory funding trigger, secondary schools (i.e.,
middle through high school) cannot benefit from the program unless
total funding exceeds $40 million, with that base amount reserved
for elementary schools. In addition, ED continues to fund the 46
school districts that were awarded grants in 2004 and 2005.
The Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Program is the
only federal program that helps school districts hire more school
counselors, school psychologists, school social workers, and
appropriately trained psychologists or psychiatrists. Although the
program is small, it plays a critical and fundamental role in
expanding students' access to necessary counseling services.
Funding for next year's ESSCP (FY 2007) remains uncertain at
this point. As mentioned in prior GR alerts, the House
Appropriations Committee approved on June 13th a fiscal year (FY)
2007 spending bill for the departments of Labor, Health and Human
Services and Education would provide only $22 million for the
ESSCP, a $12.7 million cut from this year's allocation of $34.7
million. Last year, the same House panel voted to maintain level
funding of ESSCP at $34.7 million. Cutting funding to $22 million
would drastically reduce the number of grants available to support
school counselors, school psychologists, and school social workers,
and would continue to leave secondary school counseling programs
without support.
The Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor-HHS-Education is
scheduled to consider its spending bill on July 18, with full
Appropriations Committee consideration on July 20.
ACA has been working diligently to gain as high an appropriation
as possible for the ESSCP program. It is imperative that counselors
concerned about the program take action by contacting their members
of Congress. Go to http://capwiz.com/counseling
to send a message to your Representative and Senators to support a
funding level of at least $34.7 million for the ESSCP in the FY
2007 Labor, Health and Human Services and Education appropriations
bill.
For more information, contact Chris Campbell in ACA's Public
Policy and Legislation office at 800-347-6647, ext. 241, or e-mail
ccampbell@counseling.org.
For questions concerning the ESSCP, contact Loretta McDaniel at
the U.S. Department of Education at (202) 260-2661. Also, visit
ED's ESSCP web site at: http://www.ed.gov/programs/elseccounseling/index.php.
To unsubscribe from the GR-Listserv, please send an e-mail to
clum@counseling.org.