BILL ANALYSIS

S.B. 2282

By: West

Public Education

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Concerns have been raised regarding the lack of emphasis on mental health services for public school students at school‑based health centers. S.B. 2282 seeks to address this issue by including mental health services in the scope of services delivered by school‑based health centers.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

S.B. 2282 amends the Education Code to include mental health services among the purposes for which a school-based health center model designed by a public school district may deliver cooperative health care programs for students and their families. The bill includes mental health care as a permissible category of services for a school-based health center. The bill adds licensed mental health services providers to the list of groups from which a district board of trustees is required to appoint at least one person to the local health education and health care advisory council. The bill requires a district board of trustees that has established such an advisory council to appoint a licensed mental health services provider to the council not later than January 1, 2020.

S.B. 2282 includes stabilizing the mental well-being of a student as a goal of all health care programs at school-based health centers for purposes of the school-based health center grant program administered by the commissioner of state health services.

S.B. 2282 includes improvements in student mental health among the information to be included in the Department of State Health Services biennial report issued to the legislature about the relative efficacy of services delivered by the school-based health centers during the preceding two years.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2019.