---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 290ee–4"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "290ee–4"
heading: "Mental and behavioral health outreach and education at institutions of higher education"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/290ee-4"
units:
  - "Chapter 6A — Public Health Service"
  - "Subchapter III–A — Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration"
  - "Part D — Miscellaneous Provisions Relating to Substance Abuse and Mental Health"
---

# §290ee–4. Mental and behavioral health outreach and education at institutions of higher education

- (a) **Purpose—** It is the purpose of this section to increase access to, and reduce the stigma associated with, mental health [services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) to ensure that students at institutions of higher education have the support necessary to successfully complete their studies.
- (b) **National public education campaign—** The [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c), acting through the Assistant [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) and in collaboration with the [Director](/usc/42/11851.md?p=5) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shall convene an interagency, public-private sector working group to plan, establish, and begin coordinating and evaluating a targeted public education campaign that is designed to focus on mental and behavioral health on the campuses of institutions of higher education. Such campaign shall be designed to—
  - (1) improve the general understanding of mental health and mental disorders;
  - (2) encourage help-seeking behaviors relating to the promotion of mental health, prevention of mental disorders, and [treatment](/usc/42/11851.md?p=11) of such disorders;
  - (3) make the connection between mental and behavioral health and academic success; and
  - (4) assist the general public in identifying the early warning signs and reducing the stigma of mental illness.
- (c) **Composition—** The working group convened under [subsection (b)](#b) shall include—
  - (1) mental health consumers, including students and [family members](/usc/42/300gg–91.md?p=d-15);
  - (2) representatives of institutions of higher education, including minority-serving institutions as described in [section 1067q(a) of title 20](/usc/20/1067q.md?p=a) and community colleges;
  - (3) representatives of national mental and behavioral health associations and associations of institutions of higher education;
  - (4) representatives of health promotion and prevention organizations at institutions of higher education;
  - (5) representatives of mental health [providers](/usc/42/299b–21.md?p=8), including community mental health centers; and
  - (6) representatives of private-sector and public-sector groups with experience in the development of effective public health education campaigns.
- (d) **Plan—** The working group under [subsection (b)](#b) shall develop a plan that—
  - (1) targets promotional and educational efforts to the age population of students at institutions of higher education and individuals who are employed in settings of institutions of higher education, including through the use of roundtables;
  - (2) develops and proposes the implementation of research-based public health messages and activities;
  - (3) provides support for local efforts to reduce stigma by using the National Health Information Center as a primary point of contact for information, publications, and [service](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) [program](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) referrals; and
  - (4) develops and proposes the implementation of a social marketing campaign that is targeted at the population of students attending institutions of higher education and individuals who are employed in settings of institutions of higher education.
- (e) **Definition—** In this section, the term “[institution of higher education](/usc/42/11851.md?p=7)” has the meaning given such term in [section 1001 of title 20](/usc/20/1001.md).
- (f) **Authorization of appropriations—** To carry out this section, there are authorized to be appropriated $1,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2023 through 2027.

## Source credit

(July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title V, § 549, as added Pub. L. 114–255, div. B, title IX, § 9033, Dec. 13, 2016, 130 Stat. 1261; amended Pub. L. 117–328, div. FF, title I, § 1424, Dec. 29, 2022, 136 Stat. 5704.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2022—Pub. L. 117–328, § 1424(1), substituted “at institutions of higher education” for “on college campuses” in section catchline.

Subsec. (c)(2). Pub. L. 117–328, § 1424(2), inserted “, including minority-serving institutions as described in section 1067q(a) of title 20 and community colleges” after “higher education”.

Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 117–328, § 1424(3), substituted “2023 through 2027” for “2018 through 2022”.