Latest Releases
Senator Tina Smith Continues Fight to Improve Mental Health Services for Students
WASHINGTON, D.C. [6.9.23] – Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) continued her fight to improve mental health access for students by reintroducing legislation to strengthen school-based mental health services for students in kindergarten through 12th grade. The Mental Health Services for Students Act would help schools partner with local mental health providers to establish on-site mental health services for students. It would also provide training for school personnel on how to recognize, assist and refer students who may need mental health support. The legislation is co-led by Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) and cosponsored by Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Bernie Sanders (D-VT), and Alex Padilla (D-CA). “Providing mental health services health to students at school—where they spend a significant portion of their time—helps them thrive,” said Senator Smith. “It removes many barriers to access, such as trying to figure out how to leave school in the middle of the day, and promotes behavioral health equity.” “Kids spend most of their week at school, so it’s not surprising that their teachers are often the first to recognize they might be struggling,” said Senator Murphy. “This legislation would give schools the resources they need to identify students going through a tough time and connect them to the care they need. The alarms about the youth mental health crisis have been sounding for a very long time, and we need to continue investing in the solutions we know work.” “Nevada
Senator Smith, Colleagues Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Expand Child Care in Rural Communities
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) joined Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Roger Marshall (R-KS), and Mike Braun (R-IN) to introduce bipartisan, bicameral legislation to improve the availability and quality – and lower the cost – of childcare in agricultural and rural communities. A companion version of the Expanding Childcare in Rural America (ECRA) Act of 2023 was introduced in the House of Representatives by U.S. Representatives Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA-3), Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-OR-5), Tracey Mann (R-KS-1), and Yadira Caraveo (D-CO-8). “Access to childcare is essential, but for too many families living in rural places, it is out of reach”, said Sen. Smith, a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee. “I’ve heard from Minnesotans who have to drive 50 miles to take their kids to childcare and from providers who are struggling to find and keep staff. This bill will help improve the quality, availability and affordability of childcare in rural communities to help ensure that parents have the ability to pursue their careers.” “Child care is far too expensive and too hard to find for Ohio families, and parents in rural Ohio face unique challenges. Farm communities often lack enough transportation infrastructure and don’t have enough high-quality child care providers, and rural parents are more likely to work non-traditional hours,” said Sen. Brown, a senior member of the Senate Agriculture Committee. “These are commonsense, bipartisan steps to make child care more affordable and accessible in rural communities, so that more Ohio parents can support their families.” “Access
U.S. Senator Tina Smith: Bipartisan Senate Coronavirus Deal Will Help Minnesota Health Providers Deal with Surge, Send Much-Needed Aid to Families, Workers & Small Businesses
WASHINGTON, D.C. [03/25/20]—Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) said the nearly $2 trillion Senate coronavirus deal approved late Wednesday will speed up assistance to health care providers in Minnesota and across the country in order to deal with the coming surge in cases, and help hard-hit Minnesota families, workers and small businesses deal with the fallout. Sen. Smith said she will push hard to get it signed by the President and get the assistance out to states as quickly as possible. “We are facing an unprecedented health and economic crisis in the coronavirus pandemic. With this bipartisan legislation, help is
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Presses Top Roche Diagnostics Executive to Prioritize Supplying Key Coronavirus Testing Reagent to Increase Capacity at Public Health Labs
WASHINGTON, D.C. [03/25/20]—Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) pressed Roche Diagnostics to supply the vital reagent—which is a solution critical for coronavirus testing—that public health laboratories need in order to increase testing capacity. Sen. Smith has heard from the Minnesota Department of Health that it is quickly running out of reagents and diagnostic kits needed to keep up with demand. While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been able to issue COVID-19 test kits, testing requires additional reagents that are not provided by the CDC. Roche Diagnostics has developed a reagent system that would enable labs to
U.S. Senators Klobuchar, Smith & Democratic Senate Colleagues Raise Concerns About Dangerous Medicaid Proposal
WASHINGTON, D.C. [03/25/20]—U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and a number of their Senate Democratic colleagues called on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to withdraw proposed changes to the Medicaid Fiscal Accountability Regulation (MFAR), which would disrupt state Medicaid financing. The proposed rule would limit the types of financing mechanisms states can use to pay for their non-federal share of Medicaid costs. In addition, the discretion reserved by CMS to approve or deny state proposals does not provide enough guidance to states who must plan far in the future for program expenditures. Right now, state budgets are
Klobuchar, Smith, Cramer, Colleagues Introduce Bill to Sustain Rural Broadband Connectivity During Coronavirus Pandemic
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Kevin Cramer (R-ND), along with Tina Smith (D-MN), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Steve Daines (R-MT), Doug Jones (D-AL), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Jon Tester (D-MT), John Barrasso (R-WY), Pat Roberts (R-KS), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Todd Young (R-IN), and Gary Peters (D-MI) introduced the Keeping Critical Connections Act to help small broadband providers ensure rural broadband connectivity for students and their families during the coronavirus pandemic. “Access to high speed internet is critical for students and their families during the coronavirus outbreak,” Klobuchar said. “The Keeping Critical Connections Act would help small broadband providers continue offering free
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