Bills · HR 7798
IN COMMITTEE· 119TH CONGRESS
House BillHR 7798Education
School Social Workers Improving Student Success Act
INTRO MAR 4· LAST ACTION MAR 4
READING
9MIN
COSPONSORS
4
READER REACTIONS0 TOTAL
NO VOTES YET · BE THE FIRST
- Introduced only
LEGISLATIVE PROGRESS
STEP 2 / 8Introduced
In Committee
Reported
Passed House
Passed Senate
Conference
To President
Became Law
WHAT THE BILL DOES
AI-writtenVoters should care about this bill because it addresses a critical need for student support in schools, particularly regarding mental health. Many schools currently lack enough social workers to adequately serve their student populations, leading to unmet needs in counseling, crisis intervention, and addressing barriers to learning like poverty or trauma. If this bill becomes law, it could significantly improve students' well-being and academic success by ensuring more students have access to professional help when they need it.
If the bill does not become law, many high-need schools might continue to struggle with understaffing of social workers, leaving students with limited access to crucial mental health and social support services. This can exacerbate existing challenges for students and families, potentially impacting academic performance, attendance, and overall school climate. The bill aims to close this gap by providing dedicated federal funding, which would otherwise fall to already strained state and local budgets.
KEY PROVISIONS
5AI-extractedPROVISION 01
Creates a new federal grant program for "high-need" local educational agencies to hire and retain school social workers.
This establishes a dedicated funding stream to address staffing shortages and increase mental health support in schools.
PROVISION 02
Requires grant recipients to work towards specific student-to-social worker ratios: 1:250 generally, and 1:50 for students with intensive needs.
These ratios set clear targets to ensure adequate access to social work services, aligning with professional recommendations.
PROVISION 03
Defines the wide range of services school social workers would provide, including counseling, crisis intervention, trauma-informed care, and connecting students and families to community resources.
This ensures that grant-funded social workers offer comprehensive support addressing both in-school and out-of-school barriers to student success.
PROVISION 04
Specifies that funds must add to, not replace, existing federal, state, or local funding for school social workers.
This prevents districts from using federal grants to cut their own budgets for social worker positions, ensuring a net increase in services.
PROVISION 05
Allows for the use of contractors for social work services only if a district demonstrates it has made strong efforts to hire directly but could not.
This prioritizes direct employment of social workers while offering flexibility for districts facing severe staffing challenges.
SPONSORSHIP
1 + 4
D· Wisconsin
YRS IN OFFICE
21
BILLS LED
34
COSPONSOR BREAKDOWNBIPARTISAN · 0%
DEM 4 REP 0 IND 0
ACTION TIMELINE
2 EVENTSMAR 4
Introduced in House
MAR 4
Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
BILL INFO
TypeHouse Bill
NumberHR 7798
Congress119th
StatusIn Committee
IntroducedMar 4, 2026
Last actionMar 4, 2026
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IN COMMITTEE· 119TH CONGRESS · EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE COMMITTEE · INTRODUCED MAR 4, 2026
House BillHR 7798Education
School Social Workers Improving Student Success Act
INTRODUCED MAR 4, 2026· LAST ACTION MAR 4, 2026
PASSAGE CHANCES
—%
READING
9 min
COSPONSORS
4
COMPLEXITY
Moderate
