SLS 20RS-375 ORIGINAL
2020 Regular Session
SENATE BILL NO. 340
BY SENATOR WARD
SCHOOLS. Provides relative to annual mental health screenings in schools. (gov sig)
1 AN ACT
2 To enact R.S. 17:24.10, relative to mental health screening of students; to require the
3 Department of Education to develop a pilot program for annual universal mental
4 health screening; and to provide for related matters.
5 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
6 Section 1. R.S. 17:24.10 is hereby enacted to read as follows:
7 ยง24.10. Universal mental health screening and intervention; pilot project
8 A. Not later than January 30, 2021, the state Board of Elementary and
9 Secondary Education shall develop, adopt, and provide for the implementation
10 of a pilot program to provide for universal screening of students in
11 prekindergarten through twelfth grade for signs of mental health issues. If no
12 monies are appropriated in Fiscal Year 2020-2021 for the pilot program, the
13 board shall begin development and implementation of the pilot program in any
14 subsequent fiscal year in which monies are appropriated for such purpose.
15 B. The Department of Education shall invite each city, parish, or other
16 local public school system to submit a proposal to participate in the pilot
17 program. The department shall evaluate each proposal and make
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Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 340
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1 recommendations for approval by the State Board of Elementary and
2 Secondary Education of the maximum number of eligible proposals which can
3 be funded from monies appropriated for this purpose.
4 C. The pilot program shall include but not be limited to the following
5 components:
6 (1) Universal screening for students annually. However, no child shall be
7 screened if his parent or guardian objects to such screening.
8 (2) Notification to the parent or guardian of every child identified as
9 showing signs of mental health issues which suggests follow-up with a mental
10 health professional.
11 (3) Maximizing intervention strategies through a multi-tiered model
12 structured to provide research-based interventions in a general education
13 setting.
14 (4) Teacher training and professional development designed to provide
15 the knowledge and skills necessary to assist students with possible mental health
16 issues.
17 D. Each school system selected to participate in the pilot program shall
18 arrange for an external performance evaluation to be conducted at the
19 conclusion of each full year of the pilot program to assess the effectiveness of the
20 program.
21 E. At the end of the pilot period, the Department of Education shall
22 conduct a review of each external performance evaluation conducted in each
23 participating school system and provide a report to the state Board of
24 Elementary and Secondary Education on the success of the pilot program. Upon
25 approval by the board, the department shall provide a written report to the
26 Senate Committee on Education and the House Committee on Education
27 recommending whether the program should be implemented on a statewide
28 basis.
29 F. The State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education shall adopt
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1 such rules and regulations as are necessary to implement the provisions of this
2 Section in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act.
3 G. In addition to any funds which may be provided by the legislature,
4 participating school systems may seek and accept gifts, grants, and donations,
5 including federal funds, from any available source.
6 Section 2. This Act shall become effective upon signature by the governor or, if not
7 signed by the governor, upon expiration of the time for bills to become law without signature
8 by the governor, as provided by Article III, Section 18 of the Constitution of Louisiana. If
9 vetoed by the governor and subsequently approved by the legislature, this Act shall become
10 effective on the day following such approval.
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Cheryl Serrett.
DIGEST
SB 340 Original 2020 Regular Session Ward
Proposed law provides for the state Department of Education to develop and implement a
pilot program to provide an annual mental health screening to each student in participating
school systems.
Proposed law requires each school system participating in the pilot program to arrange for
an external performance evaluation to be conducted at the conclusion of each full year of the
pilot program to assess the effectiveness of the program. Further requires the Department
of Education, at the end of the pilot period, to conduct a review of each external performance
evaluation conducted in each participating school system and provide a report to the state
Board of Elementary and Secondary Education on the success of the pilot program.
Proposed law requires the department to provide a written report to the Senate Committee
on Education and the House Committee on Education recommending whether the program
should be implemented on a statewide basis.
Effective upon signature of the governor or lapse of time for gubernatorial action.
(Enacts R.S. 17:24.10)
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Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions.