; Sense of Congress (a) Findings Congress finds the following: (1) On April 6, 2018, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced that the Trump Administration would begin implementing a new zero tolerance policy for immigrants crossing the border into the United States illegally. (2) Between April 19 and May 31, 2018, 1,995 children were separated by the Department of Homeland Security from their migrant parents at the border. (3) On May 8, 2018, the president of the American Academy of Pediatrics issued a statement opposing separation of children and parents at the border, explaining that highly stressful experiences, like family separation, can cause irreparable harm, disrupting a child’s brain architecture and affecting his or her short- and long-term health. This type of prolonged exposure to serious stress—known as toxic stress—can carry lifelong consequences for children. . (4) On May 29, 2018, the president of the American Psychological Association issued a statement regarding the traumatic effects of separating immigrant families , explaining that [t]he longer that children and parents are separated, the greater the reported symptoms of anxiety and depression for the children. Negative outcomes for children include psychological distress, academic difficulties and disruptions in their development. . (b) Sense of Congress It is the sense of Congress that the separation of children from migrating parents, as is resulting from the Trump Administration’s implementation of the zero tolerance immigration policy, is cruel, inhumane, and harmful to the mental health of separated children. 3. Mental health services for children separated by the Department of Homeland Security at the border (a) In general The Federal Government shall, including through contracts with qualified mental health professionals, ensure that— (1) beginning not later than 24 hours after a child is separated from one or more parent by the Department of Homeland Security at the United States border, such child receives a mental health assessment