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AN ACT relating to the safety and mental health of students. 1
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky: 2
SECTION 1. A NEW SECTION OF KRS CHAPTER 164 IS CREATED TO 3
READ AS FOLLOWS: 4
(1) There is hereby created the Kentucky Mental Health Safety Center within the 5
University of Louisville. For purposes of this section, the Kentucky Mental 6
Health Safety Center shall be known as "SafeKY." 7
(2) The purpose of SafeKY shall be to create, implement, and maintain a real-time 8
crisis intervention electronic mental health application that is available at no cost 9
to all elementary, secondary, and postsecondary students, parents, and teachers. 10
The application shall be used, at a minimum, as a preventative measure and shall 11
be available for use twenty-four (24) hours a day, seven (7) days a week, and 12
three hundred sixty-five (365) days a year to provide access to mental health 13
professionals who provide intervention services for mental health wellness and 14
safety. The purpose of the electronic application shall be to: 15
(a) Increase access to mental health services by elementary, secondary, and 16
postsecondary students via talk, text, or e-mail with a school-based mental 17
health services provider as defined in KRS 158.4416; 18
(b) Increase the timeliness and effectiveness of mental health crisis intervention 19
services for elementary, secondary, and postsecondary students; 20
(c) Reduce the cost associated with providing mental health services to 21
elementary, secondary, and postsecondary students; 22
(d) Increase access to mental health services by elementary, secondary, and 23
postsecondary students in underserved areas; 24
(e) Provide a confidential mechanism that complies with the Health Insurance 25
Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 to elementary, secondary, and 26
postsecondary students to help navigate through or avoid a potentially life-27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 23 RS HB 196/GA
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threatening situation to themselves or others; 1
(f) Provide an alternative to schools that have experienced an increase in 2
mental health wellness challenges and campus safety; 3
(g) Identify best practices for providing electronic mental health application 4
services to elementary, secondary, and postsecondary students; 5
(h) Identify the best methods of using telecommunications devices, including 6
mobile devices, to remotely provide electronic mental health application 7
services to elementary, secondary, and postsecondary students; and 8
(i) Identify ways that schools can work with local law enforcement to provide a 9
safe and secure environment for students to learn. 10
(3) The University of Louisville Health shall: 11
(a) Develop and maintain SafeKY in accordance with its administrative and 12
governing regulations; 13
(b) Have the authority to hire staff, contract for services, expend funds, and 14
operate the normal business activities of SafeKY; and 15
(c) Establish an advisory council to provide input regarding the electronic 16
mental health application. The advisory council shall consist of the 17
following fourteen (14) members: 18
1. The chief executive officer of University of Louisville Health, or his or 19
her designee, who shall be chair; 20
2. The president of the Council on Postsecondary Education or his or 21
her designee; 22
3. The commissioner of the Department of Education or his or her 23
designee; 24
4. The president of the University of Louisville or his or her designee; 25
5. The commissioner of the Department for Behavioral Health, 26
Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities or his or her designee; 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 23 RS HB 196/GA
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6. The chair of the Kentucky Coalition for Healthy Children or his or 1
her designee; 2
7. The executive director of the Kentucky Office of Homeland Security or 3
his or her designee; 4
8. The commissioner of the Department of Criminal Justice Training or 5
his or her designee; 6
9. The commissioner of the Department of Kentucky State Police or his 7
or her designee; 8
10. The executive director of the Center for School Safety or his or her 9
designee; 10
11. The executive director of the Kentucky Psychological Association or 11
his or her designee with expertise in program evaluation; 12
12. The executive director of the Kentucky Mental Health Coalition or his 13
or her designee; and 14
13. Two (2) members from the general public to be appointed by the chair 15
of the council. 16
(4) The University of Louisville may seek, accept, and receive appropriations, federal 17
funds, contributions, gifts, and donations made available for the purposes set 18
forth in this section, which shall be excluded from the comprehensive funding 19
model established in KRS 164.092. 20
(5) By November 1, 2024, University of Louisville Health shall report to the Interim 21
Joint Committee on Education and the Interim Joint Committee on Health, 22
Welfare, and Family Services: 23
(a) The status of implementation of the electronic mental health application; 24
(b) The manner in which the electronic mental health application is being 25
used; 26
(c) A list of districts and postsecondary institutions using the electronic mental 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 23 RS HB 196/GA
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health application; 1
(d) Data regarding the use of the electronic mental health application; 2
(e) Any information previously requested by members of the committee 3
regarding the electronic mental health application; 4
(f) Data gathered in relation to each district's and postsecondary institution's 5
use of the electronic mental health application; 6
(g) Knowledge gained from each district's and postsecondary institution's use 7
of the electronic mental health application service; 8
(h) Proposals for the future use of electronic mental health application services 9
in schools; 10
(i) Obstacles encountered in the provision of electronic mental health 11
application services; 12
(j) Recommendations for statutory changes which may be necessary to 13
overcome obstacles to providing electronic mental health application 14
services; and 15
(k) Costs associated with the administration of the service and the budget 16
necessary to continue providing the service. 17
Section 2. In the event the Legislative Research Commission dissolves the 18
Interim Joint Committee on Health, Welfare, and Family Services and establishes another 19
interim joint committee with jurisdiction over health services, the report required in 20
Section 1 of this Act shall be submitted to that interim joint committee. 21