Minnesota Students Mental Health Support Act

 

The purpose of this bill is to improve student mental health by increasing access to counselors and other mental-health

professionals in Minnesota public schools. This bill aims to make sure students can receive support when they are

stressed, struggling, or in crisis, creating safer and healthier learning environments.

 

This bill is needed because a lot of students are struggling and can’t get help when they need it. In many schools, one

counselor is responsible for hundreds of students, which means long wait times and limited support. When students don’t

get help, it affects how they feel, how they learn, and how they show up to school. By bringing more mental-health

professionals into schools and making it easier for students to reach out, this bill would create more understanding,

supportive, and healthy school environments. Every student deserves someone to talk to—and this bill helps make that

possible.

 

1) Mental Health Professional – A licensed counselor, social worker, psychologist, or therapist who is trained to

support students’ emotional and mental well-being.

2) Public School – Any Minnesota school serving grades K–12 that is run by a public school district.

3) Support Ratio – The number of students assigned to each mental-health professional.

4) Mental-Health Day – An excused absence a student can use to take care of their emotional or mental well-being.

 

The $25 million needed each year for this bill will come from funds already available in Minnesota’s state budget. A

portion will be taken from the state’s education budget, which already supports school programs across Minnesota.

Additional funding can come from the state’s general fund and any yearly budget surplus the state may have. Minnesota

can also apply for federal mental-health and education grants to help support the cost. By using existing resources and

redirecting money from programs with surplus funds, the state can fully support this bill without raising taxes on

families or students.

 

If a school district does not follow the requirements of this bill without a valid reason, it may lose up to 5% of its

state funding for the next school year. The Minnesota Department of Education will check that districts are meeting the

rules, reviewing reports, and making sure students are getting the support promised. Any funding taken away will go to

schools that are fully meeting the requirements.

 

This bill will go into effect on July 1, 2026, giving schools enough time to hire staff, plan training, and build

stronger support systems for students.