Relating to a mental health service providers competitive grant program for school districts and area education agencies, reducing state aid to area education agencies, and making an appropriation

A school district or area education agency or any combination thereof may apply to the department for a grant to employ a mental health service provider to design and implement a program that provides counseling and support services for children who are enrolled in a school district and such counseling and support services, as well as training, to adults employed by or served by the school district who have a serious emotional disturbance. “Serious emotional disturbance” is defined as a diagnosable mental, behavioral, or emotional disorder of sufficient duration to meet diagnostic criteria specified within the most current diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders published by the American psychiatric association that results in a functional impairment. “Serious emotional disturbance” does not include substance use and developmental disorders unless such disorders co-occur with such a diagnosable mental, behavioral, or emotional disorder. In adopting rules for the program, the state board of education is directed to consult with education stakeholders. The bill provides the state board with emergency rulemaking authority. If the reduction to state aid for area education agencies is less than $15 million for a given fiscal year, the bill provides for an equivalent reduction in the amount appropriated to the department from the general fund of the state for the program for the same fiscal year. Moneys awarded must be used to supplement, not supplant, existing public funding used by a school district or area education agency for similar purposes.