By West S.B. No. 1454
76R5336 KKA-F
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to student health centers on public school campuses.
1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-4 SECTION 1. Chapter 38, Education Code, is amended by adding
1-5 Section 38.011 to read as follows:
1-6 Sec. 38.011. SCHOOL-BASED STUDENT HEALTH CENTERS. (a) A
1-7 school district, after consultation with the appropriate
1-8 campus-level planning and decision-making committees established
1-9 under Subchapter F, Chapter 11, may establish a school-based
1-10 student health center at one or more campuses in the district to
1-11 meet the health care needs of students without other access to
1-12 health care. A school-based student health center may provide
1-13 services in any of the following categories:
1-14 (1) mental health care;
1-15 (2) physical health care, including immunizations;
1-16 (3) family and home support;
1-17 (4) health education; or
1-18 (5) social services.
1-19 (b) A school-based student health center may provide
1-20 services to a student only if the district obtains the written
1-21 consent of the student's parent, guardian, or other person having
1-22 legal control of the student on a consent form developed by the
1-23 district. The consent form must list each category of service
1-24 available at the school-based student health center in a format
2-1 that allows a person to consent to one or more categories of
2-2 service.
2-3 (c) The staff of a school-based student health center and
2-4 the person whose consent is obtained under Subsection (b) shall
2-5 jointly identify any health-related concerns of the student that
2-6 may be interfering with the student's ability to succeed in school
2-7 and jointly accept responsibility for addressing those concerns.
2-8 (d) A school district may seek assistance in establishing
2-9 and operating a school-based student health center from any public
2-10 health agency located in the community. On request, a public
2-11 health agency shall cooperate and provide assistance to a school
2-12 district to the extent possible considering the resources available
2-13 to the public health agency. A school district and a public health
2-14 agency may, by agreement, jointly establish, operate, and fund a
2-15 school-based student health center.
2-16 (e) A school district shall seek all available sources of
2-17 funding available to compensate the district for the cost of
2-18 services provided by a student health center, including money
2-19 available under the state Medicaid program or private health
2-20 insurance or health benefits plans.
2-21 (f) Subject to available appropriations, the agency shall
2-22 award grants to assist school districts with the costs of operating
2-23 school-based student health centers in accordance with this
2-24 section. The State Board of Education, after consultation with the
2-25 Health and Human Services Commission, by rule shall establish
2-26 procedures for awarding grants under this subsection. The
2-27 procedures must include a statewide competitive process under which
3-1 the agency evaluates proposals submitted by school districts
3-2 according to guidelines and objectives adopted by the State Board
3-3 of Education with assistance from the Health and Human Services
3-4 Commission. The agency may not award more than $250,000 per
3-5 school-based health center location.
3-6 (g) To be eligible to receive a grant under Subsection (f),
3-7 a school district must furnish local matching funds at least equal
3-8 to the amount of money received under the grant. The matching
3-9 funds may be obtained from any source available to the district,
3-10 including community or foundation donations, individual
3-11 contributions, and local governmental agency operating funds.
3-12 SECTION 2. The Texas Education Agency, with assistance from
3-13 the Health and Human Services Commission, shall:
3-14 (1) evaluate the impact of school-based student health
3-15 centers operating in this state on student health and student
3-16 readiness to learn and succeed in school; and
3-17 (2) not later than January 15, 2001, submit to the
3-18 legislature a report on the evaluation required under Subdivision
3-19 (1) of this section that includes recommendations for state funding
3-20 of school-based student health centers.
3-21 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the
3-22 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
3-23 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
3-24 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
3-25 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
3-26 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
3-27 passage, and it is so enacted.