Bill Spotlight

Learn more about Congressman Carson's original bills in the 2023 Congress. This page will be updated periodically.

MENTORING:

I'm proud to join Senator Cory Booker to introduce two bills that would support mentoring opportunities for youth.

Students who are mentored are 52% less likely to skip a day of school, 46% less likely to use drugs, and 55% more likely to attend college. Introduced on Tuesday in the House and Senate, the Transition-To-Success Mentoring Act and the Students Helping Young Students Act aims to fund and support partnerships for mentoring programs across the country.

Transition-To-Success Mentoring Act:

This bill would establish a grant program to support partnerships between local education agencies and community and school-based mentoring programs targeted at helping youth facing risk of dropping out before graduation. A recent survey found that only 39% of young people said an adult was available to talk to them when feeling stressed or having problems. School-based mentoring is an innovative, evidence-based supplement to the traditional learning that takes place in the classroom, providing underserved and at-risk students with attention and support to keep them engaged in school. Strong mentoring services can also help youth address mental health and trauma, decrease absenteeism from school, and connect with employers.

Students Helping Young Students Act:

This bill would incorporate work with after-school programs into the Federal Work-Study Program under community service by making participation in these programs eligible for federal funds. This bill helps incentivize participation in after-school programs with compensation to college students.

Under this legislation, students can be compensated for their work, including time spent in training and travel, directly related to mentoring programs. This will allow any student who wishes to serve in their community to participate in mentorship activities, regardless of their financial background. As a result, the Students Helping Young Students Actwill also help close the mentoring gap and expand opportunities for younger students to get the support they need to succeed and reach their goals, especially for those from disadvantaged backgrounds.