Behavioral Intervention Guidelines Act of 2021

Floor Speech

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Mr. GUTHRIE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 2877, the Behavioral Intervention Guidelines Act of 2021 introduced by Representatives Ferguson, Burgess, Peters, and Panetta.

This important bill authorizes the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to develop best practices for establishing and using behavioral intervention teams in elementary schools, secondary schools, and institutions of higher education.

Behavioral intervention teams are multidisciplinary teams that support students' mental health and wellness by identifying students experiencing stress, anxiety, or other behavioral disturbances, and conducting intervention and outreach to these students to help manage risk. These teams are already active in some educational settings, such as Texas Tech and the University of California, Los Angeles.

By acting in a proactive manner to assist students and connect them with needed resources, behavioral intervention teams help schools create a safe environment for their students and improve mental health outcomes in young people.

Madam Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Ferguson).

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Mr. GUTHRIE. Madam Speaker, what we have talked about is that this creates a safe environment for students. I think all Americans want a safer environment for all of our students and to improve the mental health outcomes of young people.

Madam Speaker, that is what this bill focuses on, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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