I am committed to ensuring that young people are educated in an environment that is both safe and conducive to learning.

In light of the tragic events on the campus of Virginia Tech on April 16, 2007, I introduced two pieces of legislation that sought to equip schools with clearer guidance on information-sharing in order to prevent similar occurrences from happening.

The Webb-Brown amendment, passed in the Fiscal Year 2008 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations bill (H.R.3043) and enacted into law, directed the Secretary of Education to provide schools with updated guidance on how information on a student’s mental health can be shared legally with authorities.

To further this initiative, I introduced a bill, “The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act,” that would have clarified how and when educational institutions can share students’ treatment records when a student poses a threat to himself or others. The legislation was based on the recommendations from the Virginia Tech Review Panel commissioned by Virginia Governor Tim Kaine.

I am pleased that the U.S. Secretary of Education took the needed steps to clarify rules regarding disclosure of student records and has distributed further guidance to our public schools.  The steps taken by the U.S. Secretary of Education are consistent with the goals in my legislation.
 
It is important for Congress to ensure that we provide our school officials, administrators and counselors clear federal guidelines to both protect the privacy and ensure the safety of our students. Together with the passage of the Mental Health Parity Act in both the House and Senate and other measures to ensure access to mental health services, these steps will help college administrators respond to growing incidences of mental illness.