H.R. 5353 — Peer to Peer Mental Health Support Act

This section establishes a pilot program authorizing the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, in consultation with the Secretary of Education, to make competitive awards to eligible governmental entities (i.e., states, political subdivisions, territories, Indian Tribes, and Tribal organizations) to support evidence-based mental health peer support activities—such as training students, adult supervisors, and others for early identification of, response to, and recovery from mental health and substance use challenges—in secondary schools. Activities must be overseen by school-based mental health professionals and comply with Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) protections for student education records (20 U.S.C. 1232g); the Assistant Secretary must evaluate program efficacy—including participation rates, mental health outcomes, and connections to professional services—report results to specified congressional committees, and provide technical assistance on best practices; the program sunsets on September 30, 2029.