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| 2 | 2 | | HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1899 FILED ON: 1/15/2025 |
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| 3 | 3 | | HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 680 |
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| 4 | 4 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 5 | 5 | | _________________ |
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| 6 | 6 | | PRESENTED BY: |
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| 7 | 7 | | Estela A. Reyes |
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| 8 | 8 | | _________________ |
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| 9 | 9 | | To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General |
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| 10 | 10 | | Court assembled: |
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| 11 | 11 | | The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill: |
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| 12 | 12 | | An Act relative to mental health counselors in schools. |
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| 13 | 13 | | _______________ |
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| 14 | 14 | | PETITION OF: |
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| 15 | 15 | | NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Estela A. Reyes4th Essex1/15/2025 1 of 2 |
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| 16 | 16 | | HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1899 FILED ON: 1/15/2025 |
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| 17 | 17 | | HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 680 |
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| 18 | 18 | | By Representative Reyes of Lawrence, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 680) of |
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| 19 | 19 | | Estela A. Reyes relative to mental health counselors in public schools. Education. |
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| 20 | 20 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 21 | 21 | | _______________ |
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| 22 | 22 | | In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court |
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| 23 | 23 | | (2025-2026) |
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| 24 | 24 | | _______________ |
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| 25 | 25 | | An Act relative to mental health counselors in schools. |
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| 26 | 26 | | Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority |
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| 27 | 27 | | of the same, as follows: |
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| 28 | 28 | | 1 Chapter 71 of the General Laws, as amended by section 219 of chapter 238 of the acts of |
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| 29 | 29 | | 22024, is here by further amended by adding the following section: |
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| 30 | 30 | | 3 Section 102. (a) For the purpose of this section, the following terms shall, unless the |
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| 31 | 31 | | 4context clearly requires otherwise, have the following meanings: |
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| 32 | 32 | | 5 “School mental health counselor”, a person licensed or eligible for licensure as a mental |
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| 33 | 33 | | 6health counselor under section 165 of chapter 112. |
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| 34 | 34 | | 7 “School psychologist”, a person licensed or eligible for licensure as a licensed |
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| 35 | 35 | | 8educational psychologist under section 165 of chapter 112 who has been certified as a school |
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| 36 | 36 | | 9psychologist by the department of education. |
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| 37 | 37 | | 10 (b) Subject to appropriation, each public school shall employ school mental health |
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| 38 | 38 | | 11counselors or school psychologist that have been granted by the commissioner a provisional or |
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| 39 | 39 | | 12standard certificate of employment, pursuant to section 38G, for grades 3 to 12. During the 2 of 2 |
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| 40 | 40 | | 13school year, a school mental health counselor or school psychologist shall have at least 1 meeting |
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| 41 | 41 | | 14with each student to ensure that the student: (i) is aware the counselor or psychologist is |
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| 42 | 42 | | 15available to them; (ii) becomes familiar with the counselor or psychologist; and (iii) understands |
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| 43 | 43 | | 16that the counselor or psychologist is accessible to them for whenever they may need. |
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