U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and 12 Senate colleagues are asking the Department of Education to release funding for two school-based mental health grant programs and explain how canceled grants were evaluated.
The New York Democrat said the department's actions have disrupted counseling services and the recruitment of mental health professionals. The programs were created through the 2022 Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.
The senators said 70 School-Based Mental Health Services grants and 153 Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration grants received cancellation notices in April 2025. Courts later blocked the cancellations, and the department resumed 122 grants through June 30, 2026, according to the letter.
The lawmakers asked for answers by Sept. 18, including a list of grantees funded after June 30 and the criteria used to determine compliance. The Department of Education's response was not included in Gillibrand's release.
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