U.S. Senator Chris Murphy reintroduced the Counseling Not Criminalization in Schools Act, legislation aimed at redirecting resources toward counselors, social workers, and mental health services in schools while prohibiting federal funds for police presence in schools.
Murphy, a member of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, introduced the bill alongside Senators Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Ed Markey (D-Mass.). The legislation would provide a standalone grant program helping districts hire additional counselors, social workers, and other health providers, direct federal funding toward evidence-based services addressing the needs of marginalized students, and support local education agencies seeking to terminate contracts with local law enforcement agencies.
Murphy said, "Kids struggling with mental health and familial trauma deserve the support of trained professionals, not an entry point to the criminal justice system. My bill would make sure local school districts are investing in the most effective resources for improving student safety in schools: guidance counselors, social workers, and mental health professionals."
Booker said, "Too many young people walk into school carrying burdens no child should have to bear, and our response cannot be handcuffs and surveillance. This legislation does what schools actually need: it invests in counselors, social workers, and mental health professionals who see our children as kids who need support, not suspects who need policing."
The bill is supported by organizations including the American Federation of Teachers, National Education Association, NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc., and the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, among dozens of others.
Markey said, "Students across the country deserve safe learning environments and mental health resources, and to be treated with dignity. Policing and criminalizing students does not help us meet this mission; it puts us farther from it. The Counseling Not Criminalization in Schools Act will provide the necessary resources and support that young people, teachers, and communities have advocated for."
