Relating to a mental health service providers competitive grant program for school districts and area education agencies, making an appropriation, and including effective date provisions

This bill provides for the establishment by the department of education of a mental health service providers competitive grant program to use mental health service providers in high-need school districts or in high-need attendance centers operated by school districts, and appropriates $15 million from the general fund of the state to the department for FY 2020-2021 for purposes of the program. 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. Moneys awarded must be used to supplement, not supplant, existing public funding used by a school district or area education agency for similar purposes. Moneys remaining unencumbered or unobligated at the close of the fiscal year do not revert but remain available for the following year for expenditure for the specified purposes. The bill takes effect upon enactment.