From the ECS State Policy Database Health--Mental Health

This database is made possible by your state's fiscal support of the Education Commission of the States (ECS). Most entries are legislative, although rules/regulations and executive orders that make substantive changes are included. Every effort is made to collect the latest available version of policies; in some instances, recent changes might not be reflected. For expediency purposes minimal attention has been paid to style (capitalization, punctuation) and format. Please cite use of the database as: Education Commission of the States (ECS) State Policy Database, retrieved [date]. State Status/Date Level Summary OR Signed into law 06/2013 P-12 Consent for Mental Health Screenings H.B. 3474 Requires that when a school district conducts a mental health screening of all of the students in one or more classrooms or all of the students in one or more grades, the school district must allow the student or the parents or legal guardians of the student t... More... TX Signed into law 06/2013 P-12 Continuing Education Requirements for Teachers, Principals, and Counselors H.B. 642 Requires that continuing education requirements for teachers provide that up to 25% of the training required every 5 years include instruction on (1) collecting and analyzing information that will improve classroom effectiveness; (2) recognizing early warning ... More... TX Signed into law 06/2013 P-12 Students with Mental or Emotional Disorders S.B. 460 Requires that minimum academic qualifications for a teaching certificate require that a person receive instruction in detection of students with mental or emotional disorders. Requires that instruction be developed by experts in the diagnosis and treatment of ... More... TX Signed into law 06/2013 P-12 Mental Health, Substance Abuse, and Suicide Prevention S.B. 831 Previous legislation required the department of state health services, in coordination with the Texas Education Agency (TEA), to provide and annually update a list of recommended best practice-based early mental health intervention and suicide prevention progr... More... CT Signed into law 06/2013 Postsec. Social/Emotional Development Training in Teacher Preparation H.B. 6292 Requires any candidate entering a program of teacher preparation to complete training in social and emotional development and learning of children. The training must include instruction concerning a comprehensive, coordinated social and emotional assessment an... More... VT Signed into law 06/2013 P-12 Life-Threatening Allergies, Mental Health S. 4, Section 4, 5 Requires multiple agencies departments to work to (1) catalogue the type and scope of mental health and substance abuse services provided in or through collaboration with Vermont public schools; (2) determine the number of students who are currently receiving... More... MN Signed into law 05/2013 P-12 Safe Schools Levy H.F. 630 Increases the number of allowable uses for Safe Schools fund. New uses include paying for facility security enhancements; colocation, collaboration with mental health professionals; and costs associated with improving the school climate. Page 45 of 214. http:/... More... MN Signed into law 05/2013 P-12 Mental Health Education H.F. 630 Encourages school districts and charter schools to provide mental health instructions for students in grades 6 through 12 aligned with local health standards and integrated into existing programs and curricula. Page 65 of 214. http://wdoc.house.leg.state.mn.u... More... WA Signed into law 04/2013 P-12 Increasing the Capacity of School Districts to Recognize and Respond to Troubled Youth. H.B. 1336 Increase the capacity for school districts to recognize and respond to youth in need through additional training, more comprehensive planning, and emphasis on partnerships between schools and communities. Requires individuals certified by the professional educ... More... VA Signed into law 04/2013 Postsec. Mental health treatment coordination H.B. 1609/S.B. 1342 Requires the governing board of each public four-year institution to establish a written memorandum of understanding with its local community services board or behavioral health authority and with local hospitals and other local mental health facilities to exp... More... UT Signed into law 03/2013 P-12 Parent Seminar on Youth Protection H.B. 298 Directs a district to offer a parent seminar each year, using either a locally-developed curriculum or a curriculum developed by the state board, that includes information on substance abuse; bullying; mental health, depression, and suicide awareness; and Inte... More... VA Signed into law 02/2013 Postsec. Community College Mental Health Referral H.B. 2322/S.B. 1078 Requires the State Board for Community Colleges to develop a mental health referral policy that would require community colleges to designate at least one individual at each college to serve as a point of contact with an emergency services system clinician at ... More... CA Signed into law 06/2011 P-12 Referral to Mental Health Services A.B. 114 - Referral to Mental Health Services From bill summary: Makes certain provisions authorizing referral, through a prescribed process, of a pupil suspected of needing mental health services to a community mental health service inoperative as of July 1, 2011, would repeal them as of January 1, 2012.... More... TX Signed into law 06/2011 P-12 Early Mental Health Intervention and Prevention of Youth Suicide H.B. 1386 - Early Mental Health Intervention and Prevention of Youth Suicide Directs the department of public health, in coordination with the Texas Education Agency, to provide and annually update a list of best practice-based early mental health intervention and suicide prevention programs for implementation in public K-12 schools. P... More... TN Signed into law 06/2011 P-12 Students Served in Residential Mental Health S.B. 1707 Requires a local board of education to allocate funding in an amount equal to the per pupil state and local funds received by the LEA to state licensed residential mental health facilities on a prorated daily basis for the student's length of stay, provided ce... More... ME Signed into law 06/2011 P-12 Improving the Delivery of School Psychological Services to Children S.P. 327 Changes the term "school psychological service provider" to "school psychologist" in state law regarding to school psychological services. Requires the Commissioner of Education to revise the rules to align the code of ethics and practice standards with those ... More... MS Signed into law 04/2011 P-12 Mental Health and Teacher Shortage Committees H.B. 1177 Creates the Joint Legislative and Paraprofessional Education and Mental Health Study Committee to examine, make recommendations and assist in shaping public policy to improve student outcomes and educational opportunities for students with serious emotional an... More... WA Signed into law 04/2011 P-12 Relating to Harassment, Intimidation, Bullying and Suicide Prevention H.B. 1163 Requires the offices of the education ombudsman and the superintendent of public instruction to convene a work group on school bullying and harassment preventionto develop, recommend, and implement strategies to improve school climate and create respectful lea... More... OK Signed into law 06/2010 P-12 Teacher Preparation - Mental Health Issues H.B. 2004 Requires that mental illness symptoms identification and mental health issues be incorporated into teacher preparation systems. http://webserver1.lsb.state.ok.us/2009-10bills/HB/HB2004_ENR.RTF... More... IN Signed into law 03/2010 P-12 Training for Suicide Prevention S.B. 226 Relates to suicide prevention training for school personnel; provides that health finance commission is to study the topic of teen suicide, including the root causes and prevention, during the 2010 legislative interim. Public Law 29 http://www.in.gov/legislat... More... NY Vetoed 08/2009 P-12 Postsec. Minority Mental Health Act A.B. 5055 Enacts the Minority Mental Health Act. Establishes the Division of Minority Mental Health within the Office of Mental Health. Provides the division is responsible for assuring that mental health programs and services are culturally and linguistically appropria... More... TN Signed into law 05/2009 P-12 Prohibits Universal Mental Health Screening S.B. 850 Prohibits universal mental health testing or psychiatric or socio-emotional screening of juveniles unless consented to by a parent or guardian, ordered by the court, done on an emergency basis in connection with a disaster or epidemic, or as required by the Ea... More... CT Signed into law 06/2008 Postsec. Community College Awareness/Intervention Related to College Students w/ Mental Illness S.B. 467 Requires each constituent unit of the state system of higher education and each independent college or university to submit a plan to the Department of Higher Education to identify procedures specifically designed to heighten awareness by all faculty and staff... More... VA Signed into law 03/2008 P-12 Mental Health Awareness S.B. 640 Adds mental health education and awareness to the list of topics that shall be covered in family life education curricula. http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?081+ful+CHAP0417... More... IL Signed into law 08/2007 P-12 School Psychology Internship Consortium H.B. 1363 Provides that, subject to appropriations, the state board of education must provide grants to the School Psychology Internship Consortium for aid in providing training programs and facilitating interns to improve the educational and mental health services of c... More... IL Adopted 07/2007 P-12 Children's Mental Health Initiative Grants 23 IAC 555.10 thru .160, and Appendix A Creates new Part of rules, "Children's Mental Health Initiative Grants." Subpart A, "School Mental Health Support Grants," (pages 136-141 of 201 http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/index/register/register_volume31_issue30.pdf) includes the following ... More... TN Signed into law 05/2007 P-12 Training in Early Warning Signs of Mental Illness H.B. 933 Encourages the use of a certain number of in-service training days. Such training shall place an emphasis on understanding the warning signs of early on-set mental illness in children and adolescents and may be conducted by school counseling personnel (psychol... More... MD Signed into law 05/2007 P-12 Student Self-Injury Prevention H.B. 1046 Requires the State Superintendent of Schools, in collaboration with the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, to establish and promote in schools in the State a public awareness campaign related to self-injury by cutting; provides for the components of the ... More... ID Signed into law 03/2007 P-12 Teen Early Intervention Mental Health and Substance Abuse Specialist Program S.B. 1147 Defines "teens at risk" as public school students in grades 7-12 who have been identified as expressing or exhibiting indications of depression, suicidal inclination, emotional trauma, substance abuse or other behaviors or symptoms that indicate the existenc... More... MN Signed into law 03/2007 P-12 Eligibility for Extracurricular Activities Following Treatment S.B. 1499 Ensures a student's ability to participate in league-sponsored activities after completing licensed treatment programs for alcohol or substance abuse, mental illness or emotional disturbance. http://www.senate.leg.state.mn.us/bin/unoff_eng.php?session=ls85&ver... More... UT Signed into law 03/2007 P-12 Psychiatric Evaluations & Medical Recommendations for Students H.B. 202 Prohibits school personnel from conducting a psychiatric or behavioral health evaluation or mental health screening, test, evaluation, or assessment of a student, except if required under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act; prohibits school person... More... WY Signed into law 03/2007 P-12 Preschool Mental Health Services S.B. 34 Allows funds to be appropriated for developmental preschool mental health or social-emotional development services and training. http://legisweb.state.wy.us/2007/Enroll/SF0034.pdf... More... NY Signed into law 09/2006 P-12 Children's Mental Health Advisory Board S.B. 6672 Establishes the children's mental health advisory board to promulgate and monitor the implementation of a children's mental health plan. Requires the incorporation of social and emotional development of children into elementary and secondary school educational... More... NY Vetoed 08/2006 P-12 Centers of Excellence in Culturally and Linguistically Competent Mental Health A.B. 9593 Directs the office of mental health to establish two centers of excellence in culturally competent mental health to investigate and disseminate the best practices for the delivery of culturally competent mental health services to underserved populations affect... More... MI Signed into law 07/2006 P-12 Suicide Prevention & Education Programs H.B. 4375 Encourages schools to provide age-appropriate instruction programs regarding warning signs and risk factors of suicide and depression and the protective factors that help prevent suicide; provides professional development for school personnel; provides that fa... More... LA Signed into law 07/2006 P-12 Student Mental Health H.B. 234 Requires local public school boards to adopt policies prohibiting teachers from: (1) Recommending that a student be administered a pyschotropic drug. (2) Specifying or identifying any specific mental health diagnosis for a student. (3) Using a parent's refus... More... AK Signed into law 06/2006 P-12 Recommending or Refusing Psychotropic Drugs S.B. 48 Prohibits public schools from denying students access to programs or services because a student's parent has refused to place the student on psychotropic medications, get a psychiatric evaluation or seek psychiatric or psychological treatment. Defines what com... More... AZ Signed into law 04/2006 P-12 Student Mental Health Screening S.B. 1324 Relates to mental health screening of pupils; provides that a school district or charter school must have the written, signed consent of the pupil's parent or guardian before it conducts a mental health screening on any pupil. http://www.azleg.gov/legtext/47le... More... ME Signed into law 04/2006 P-12 Postsec. Health Coverage for College Students S.B. 777; LD 2014 Requires individual and group health insurance policies to continue coverage for dependent children up to 24 years of age who are unable to maintain enrollment in college due to mental or physical illness if they would otherwise terminate coverage due to a req... More... CO Signed into law 04/2006 P-12 Teacher Professional Development on Student Mental Health H.B. 1098 Allows public school teachers to receive professional development credit by attending an in-service program on juvenile mental health issues, including awareness and prevention of youth suicide. http://www.leg.state.co.us/clics2006a/csl.nsf/fsbillcont3/07205A4... More... MA Signed into law 03/2006 P-12 Students w/ Autism H.B. 1123 Relates to the special education needs of children with autism spectrum disorder. http://www.mass.gov/legis/bills/house/ht01pdf/ht01123.pdf... More... MS Signed into law 03/2002 P-12 Titles Used by School Psychologists H.B. 1302 Relates to school psychologists; clarifies that persons under contract with school districts to perform psychological services may use the same titles as those persons employed by school districts who perform the same services.... More... CA Vetoed 09/2000 P-12 Postsec. Panel of Experts A.B. 2068 Encourages the Regents of the University of California to convene, to the extent that sufficient annual funds are provided for this purpose, a panel of experts, consisting of representatives from specified entities to develop guidelines and recommendations for... More...