Overview
- The department said 33 recipients serve rural areas, accounting for more than $120 million of the total.
- The awards cap a recompetition that followed April notices ending 223 of 339 Biden-era mental-health projects effective Dec. 31.
- New rules narrowed eligibility to state and local education agencies, emphasized merit-based hiring and evidence-based services, and excluded universities from direct awards.
- The $208 million total is below the $270 million initially projected for the competitions.
- A Seattle federal judge blocked termination notices for 49 grantees in a 16-state lawsuit, and court proceedings remain active with a hearing scheduled.