| |
| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to the creation of a task force to examine the |
|
|
effectiveness of school mental health programs provided for |
|
|
students enrolled in public schools. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 38, Education Code, is |
|
|
amended by adding Section 38.038 to read as follows: |
|
|
Sec. 38.038. PUBLIC SCHOOL MENTAL HEALTH TASK FORCE; |
|
|
REPORT. (a) In this section: |
|
|
(1) "Public school chief executive officer" means the |
|
|
superintendent of a school district or the chief executive officer |
|
|
of an open-enrollment charter school. |
|
|
(2) "Public school mental health professional" means a |
|
|
person who provides counseling services in a public school and is: |
|
|
(A) a licensed physician who is: |
|
|
(i) a graduate of an accredited psychiatric |
|
|
residency training program; or |
|
|
(ii) certified in psychiatry by: |
|
|
(a) the American Board of Psychiatry |
|
|
and Neurology; or |
|
|
(b) the American Osteopathic Board of |
|
|
Neurology and Psychiatry; |
|
|
(B) an advanced practice registered nurse, as |
|
|
defined by Section 301.152, Occupations Code, who holds a |
|
|
nationally recognized board certification in psychiatric or mental |
|
|
health nursing; |
|
|
(C) a psychologist, as defined by Section |
|
|
501.002, Occupations Code; |
|
|
(D) a licensed professional counselor, as |
|
|
defined by Section 503.002, Occupations Code; or |
|
|
(E) a licensed clinical social worker, as defined |
|
|
by Section 505.002, Occupations Code. |
|
|
(b) The Public School Mental Health task force is |
|
|
established under this section to examine the effectiveness of |
|
|
school mental health programs provided for students enrolled in |
|
|
public schools. |
|
|
(c) The task force is composed of the following 25 members |
|
|
appointed by the commissioner: |
|
|
(1) five school counselors certified under Subchapter |
|
|
B, Chapter 21; |
|
|
(2) one director of a public school counseling |
|
|
program; |
|
|
(3) four public school mental health professionals; |
|
|
(4) five public school chief executive officers; |
|
|
(5) four representatives of regional education |
|
|
service centers who have experience with school counseling; |
|
|
(6) one representative of the State Board of |
|
|
Education; |
|
|
(7) one representative of the agency; |
|
|
(8) two representatives of professional counseling |
|
|
organizations; and |
|
|
(9) two representatives of research organizations |
|
|
that have conducted academic research on school counseling. |
|
|
(d) The commissioner shall appoint the members of the task |
|
|
force not later than December 31, 2020. The commissioner shall fill |
|
|
a vacancy in the task force by the appointment of another person |
|
|
with the same qualifications as the original appointee. |
|
|
(e) The representative of the agency shall serve as the |
|
|
presiding officer of the task force. |
|
|
(f) The presiding officer shall call the initial meeting of |
|
|
the task force on or before January 31, 2021. The task force shall |
|
|
meet at least twice each year in Austin, Texas, and at other times |
|
|
and places that the presiding officer determines are appropriate. |
|
|
(g) Chapter 2110, Government Code, does not apply to the |
|
|
task force. |
|
|
(h) The task force shall: |
|
|
(1) examine the types of mental health services that |
|
|
public schools provide; |
|
|
(2) examine other existing measures used by schools |
|
|
that positively affect student mental health; |
|
|
(3) determine which school mental health programs |
|
|
achieve the best performance, considering the cost of the program, |
|
|
the number of students served, and the effectiveness of the |
|
|
program; |
|
|
(4) determine which school mental health programs |
|
|
schools prefer to use; and |
|
|
(5) conduct a statistical analysis, incorporating |
|
|
information on student demographics, including student family |
|
|
average income, to determine the overall effectiveness of school |
|
|
mental health programs and the impact on student achievement and |
|
|
performance. |
|
|
(i) Not later than August 31, 2022, the task force shall |
|
|
deliver a report to the commissioner detailing the task force's |
|
|
findings and recommendations and the results of the statistical |
|
|
analysis conducted by the task force. |
|
|
(j) The task force is abolished, and this section expires, |
|
|
December 1, 2022. |
|
|
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |