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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to creating a mental health allotment under the Foundation |
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School Program. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 48, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 48.117 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 48.117. MENTAL HEALTH ALLOTMENT. (a) In this section, |
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"mental health services" means assessment, diagnosis, treatment, |
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or counseling by a mental health professional to assist a student |
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in: |
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(1) alleviating mental or emotional illness, |
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symptoms, conditions, or disorders, including alcohol or drug |
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addiction; |
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(2) understanding conscious or subconscious |
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motivations; |
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(3) resolving emotional, attitudinal, or relationship |
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conflicts; or |
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(4) modifying feelings, attitudes, or behaviors that |
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interfere with effective emotional, social, or intellectual |
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functioning. |
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(b) This section applies only to a school district in which |
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not less than 60 percent of the campuses in the district offer |
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students access to mental health services. |
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(c) From funds appropriated or otherwise available for the |
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purpose, the commissioner may provide to a school district to which |
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this section applies an annual allotment for each student who |
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accesses mental health services through the district in an amount |
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equal to the district's basic allotment or, if applicable, the sum |
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of the basic allotment and the allotment under Section 48.101 to |
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which the district is entitled, multiplied by a weight in an amount |
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determined by the commissioner based on criteria related to the |
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cost of providing those services. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |