This bill would reauthorize the federal school-based health centers grant program by setting funding at $55,000,000 for each fiscal year from 2027 through 2031. It keeps support flowing to school-based health centers, which provide health services to students where they are — at or near school. The main change is a specific funding authorization replacing the current language that covered fiscal years 2022 through 2026. Students, school districts, and health providers that operate these centers would be the primary beneficiaries.
What This Bill Does
- Reauthorizes the school-based health centers grant program in the Public Health Service Act.
- Sets funding at $55,000,000 for each fiscal year 2027 through 2031.
- Replaces the current authorization covering fiscal years 2022 through 2026.
- Applies to school-based health centers, which serve students at or near school.
Who This Bill Affects
If you are a student, parent, or school district served by a school-based health center, this bill would help keep those centers funded at $55,000,000 per year from 2027 through 2031. That can support on-campus access to basic health services and reduce the need to leave school for routine care. If you do not use or operate a school-based health center, the direct effect on you is limited.
See how this bill affects you — sign in for a personalized analysisWho Supports & Opposes This
- Parents and students They may see school-based health centers as a convenient way to get care without losing class time or arranging extra transportation. Continued federal funding can help keep those services available in communities that depend on them.
- School districts and school administrators These centers can reduce absenteeism and make it easier to support students’ health needs during the school day. A fixed five-year authorization also gives schools and partners more predictable planning for staffing and operations.
- Community health providers Clinics and nonprofit health systems that run school-based sites benefit from a stable funding stream. The $55,000,000 annual authorization helps sustain preventive and primary care services that are otherwise hard to finance.
- Fiscal conservatives They may argue that the bill continues federal spending without adding safeguards or reforms tied to performance. A set authorization of $55,000,000 a year could be viewed as another ongoing commitment that competes with other priorities.
- Taxpayer watchdog groups Some may question whether federal dollars should fund services that can vary widely across localities. They may prefer more limited or more tightly targeted grants instead of a broad reauthorization.
- Some local health advocates focused on community clinics They might worry that funding school-based centers could draw attention or resources away from neighborhood clinics serving children and families outside the school setting. The concern is not that school centers are unhelpful, but that the grant structure favors one access point over others.
Key Implications
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““$55,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2031””
This is the bill’s central funding change. It gives the grant program a specific five-year authorization level, which can affect how many school-based centers receive support and how much certainty they have for planning.
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““section 399Z-1(m) of the Public Health Service Act””
The bill does not create a new program from scratch; it amends an existing public health statute. That means it extends and updates an existing federal framework for school-based health center grants.
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““school-based health centers grant program””
The beneficiaries are schools, students, and health organizations involved in operating on-site or nearby care centers. The practical effect is easier access to basic health services during the school day.
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““striking ‘such sums as may be necessary…2022 through 2026’””
The bill replaces flexible current authorization language with a fixed dollar amount for future years. That can improve predictability, but it also caps the authorization at a defined level rather than leaving it open-ended.
Official Source & Bill Facts
BillBoard checks this page against public Congress.gov metadata, then adds plain-English analysis where available.
- Bill
- HR 8209
- Congress
- 119th Congress
- Official title
- To amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize the school-based health centers grant program.
- Policy area
- Healthcare
- Latest action
- Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 631. (July 2, 2026)
- Last updated
- July 3, 2026
Latest Status
July 2, 2026
Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 631.
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