Senate File 2163 - Introduced SENATE FILE 2163 BY MATHIS A BILL FOR An Act relating to a mental health service providers 1 competitive grant program for school districts and area 2 education agencies, making an appropriation, and including 3 effective date provisions. 4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 5 TLSB 5592XS (3) 89 jda/jh
S.F. 2163 Section 1. NEW SECTION . 256.20 Mental health service 1 providers competitive grant program. 2 1. The department shall establish a mental health 3 service providers competitive grant program to use mental 4 health service providers who have received a statement 5 of professional recognition from the board of educational 6 examiners in high-need school districts or in high-need 7 attendance centers operated by school districts. The state 8 board, after consultation with education stakeholders, shall 9 adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A for the program, including 10 rules relating to grant application materials, eligibility 11 requirements, and award criteria. 12 2. A school district or area education agency or any 13 combination thereof may apply to the department for a grant 14 to employ a mental health service provider who has received 15 a statement of professional recognition from the board of 16 educational examiners to design and implement a program that 17 provides counseling and support services for children who 18 are enrolled in a school district, and counseling, support 19 services, and training for adults employed by or served by the 20 school district, who have a serious emotional disturbance. For 21 purposes of this section, “serious emotional disturbance” means 22 the same as defined in section 225C.2. 23 3. Moneys awarded under this section shall be used to 24 supplement, not supplant, existing public funding used by a 25 school district or area education agency for similar purposes. 26 Sec. 2. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION —— MENTAL HEALTH SERVICE 27 PROVIDERS COMPETITIVE GRANT PROGRAM. There is appropriated 28 from the general fund of the state to the department of 29 education for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2021, and 30 ending June 30, 2022, the following amount, or so much thereof 31 as is necessary, to be used for the purposes designated: 32 For purposes of the mental health service providers 33 competitive grant program pursuant to section 256.20, if 34 enacted, including the establishment and start-up programming 35 -1- LSB 5592XS (3) 89 jda/jh 1/ 3
S.F. 2163 costs of implementing the program: 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 15,000,000 2 Notwithstanding section 8.33, moneys received by the 3 department pursuant to this section that remain unencumbered or 4 unobligated at the close of the fiscal year shall not revert 5 but shall remain available for expenditure for the purposes 6 specified in this section for the following fiscal year. 7 Sec. 3. EMERGENCY RULES. The state board of education 8 may adopt emergency rules under section 17A.4, subsection 3, 9 and section 17A.5, subsection 2, paragraph “b”, to implement 10 the provisions of this Act and the rules shall be effective 11 immediately upon filing unless a later date is specified in the 12 rules. Any rules adopted in accordance with this section shall 13 also be published as a notice of intended action as provided 14 in section 17A.4. 15 Sec. 4. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act, being deemed of immediate 16 importance, takes effect upon enactment. 17 EXPLANATION 18 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 19 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 20 This bill provides for the establishment by the department 21 of education of a mental health service providers competitive 22 grant program to use mental health service providers who have 23 received a statement of professional recognition from the board 24 of educational examiners in high-need school districts or in 25 high-need attendance centers operated by school districts, and 26 appropriates $15 million from the general fund of the state to 27 the department for FY 2021-2022 for purposes of the program. 28 A school district or area education agency or any 29 combination thereof may apply to the department for a grant 30 to employ a mental health service provider who has received 31 a statement of professional recognition from the board of 32 educational examiners to design and implement a program that 33 provides counseling and support services for children who 34 are enrolled in a school district and such counseling and 35 -2- LSB 5592XS (3) 89 jda/jh 2/ 3
S.F. 2163 support services, as well as training, to adults employed by 1 or served by the school district who have a serious emotional 2 disturbance. 3 “Serious emotional disturbance” is defined as a diagnosable 4 mental, behavioral, or emotional disorder of sufficient 5 duration to meet diagnostic criteria specified within the most 6 current diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders 7 published by the American psychiatric association that results 8 in a functional impairment. “Serious emotional disturbance” 9 does not include substance use and developmental disorders 10 unless such disorders co-occur with such a diagnosable mental, 11 behavioral, or emotional disorder. 12 In adopting rules for the program, the state board of 13 education is directed to consult with education stakeholders. 14 The bill provides the state board with emergency rulemaking 15 authority. 16 Moneys awarded must be used to supplement, not supplant, 17 existing public funding used by a school district or area 18 education agency for similar purposes. Moneys remaining 19 unencumbered or unobligated at the close of the fiscal year 20 do not revert but remain available for the following year for 21 expenditure for the specified purposes. 22 The bill takes effect upon enactment. 23 -3- LSB 5592XS (3) 89 jda/jh 3/ 3