EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
Underlining indicates amendments to bill.
Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by
amendment.
*hb0657*
HOUSE BILL 657
F1 2lr0974
By: Delegates Guyton, Forbes, Jackson, Krimm, J. Lewis, Luedtke, Rose, Ruth,
Saab, Shoemaker, Terrasa, and Valentino–Smith
Introduced and read first time: January 31, 2022
Assigned to: Ways and Means
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
House action: Adopted
Read second time: March 13, 2022
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Public Schools – Standardized Behavioral Health Screenings Questionnaire for 2
Students – Development and Implementation 3
FOR the purpose of requiring the Maryland Consortium on Coordinated Community 4
Supports to develop, in consultation with certain stakeholders, guidelines for 5
developing a standardized behavioral health screening questionnaire to identify 6
students with behavioral health services needs; requiring each behavioral health 7
services coordinator to develop and implement a standardized behavioral health 8
screening questionnaire based on the guidelines developed by the Consortium; and 9
generally relating to the development of a standardized behavioral health screening 10
questionnaire for public school students. 11
BY renumbering 12
Article – Education 13
Section 7–447.1(i) through (o), respectively 14
to be Section 7–447.1(j) through (p), respectively 15
Annotated Code of Maryland 16
(2018 Replacement Volume and 2021 Supplement) 17
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 18
Article – Education 19
Section 7–447(b) and 7–447.1(a)(1) and (4) 20
Annotated Code of Maryland 21
(2018 Replacement Volume and 2021 Supplement) 22 2 HOUSE BILL 657
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 1
Article – Education 2
Section 7–447(c) 3
Annotated Code of Maryland 4
(2018 Replacement Volume and 2021 Supplement) 5
BY adding to 6
Article – Education 7
Section 7–447.1(i) 8
Annotated Code of Maryland 9
(2018 Replacement Volume and 2021 Supplement) 10
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 11
That Section(s) 7–447.1(i) through (o), respectively, of Article – Education of the Annotated 12
Code of Maryland be renumbered to be Section(s) 7–447.1(j) through (p), respectively. 13
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That the Laws of Maryland read 14
as follows: 15
Article – Education 16
7–447. 17
(b) Each local school system shall appoint a behavioral health services 18
coordinator. 19
(c) (1) In addition to the requirements under Subtitle 15 of this title, each 20
behavioral health services coordinator shall: 21
[(1)] (I) Coordinate existing behavioral health services and referral 22
procedures for behavioral health services within the local school system, including through 23
a coordinated community supports partnership; 24
[(2)] (II) Working in collaboration with the local health department, the 25
local department of social services, and other local entities that provide behavioral health 26
services, including a community supports partnership, ensure that a student who is 27
referred for behavioral health services obtains the necessary services in a timely manner; 28
[(3)] (III) Maximize external funding for behavioral health and 29
wraparound services; 30
[(4)] (IV) Have at a minimum a master’s degree and behavioral health 31
training experience in schools; 32
HOUSE BILL 657 3
[(5)] (V) Provide the required behavioral health training under § 6–122 of 1
this article; and 2
[(6)] (VI) Develop and implement a standardized screening 3
QUESTIONNAIRE to identify students with behavioral health services needs using an 4
evidence–based measurement approach BASED ON THE GUIDELI NES ESTABLISHED 5
UNDER § 7–447.1 OF THIS SUBTITLE . 6
(2) THE STANDARDIZED SCREENING QUESTIONNAIRE REQUIRED 7
UNDER PARAGRAPH (1)(VI) OF THIS SUBSECTION S HALL BE GIVEN TO THE PARENT 8
OR GUARDIAN OF EACH STUDENT WHEN THE STU DENT ENROLLS FOR SCH OOL AND 9
EVERY YEAR THEREAFTE R WHILE THE STUDENT IS ENROLLED IN THE L OCAL 10
SCHOOL SYSTEM . 11
(3) THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES COORDINATOR SHALL USE 12
THE QUESTIONNAIRE TO COMPLETE THE COORDIN ATOR’S DUTIES UNDER THIS 13
SECTION. 14
(4) THE QUESTIONNAIRE , WITH THE PERMISSION OF A STUDENT OR A 15
STUDENT’S PARENT, SHALL BE SHARED WITH : 16
(I) SCHOOL MENTAL HEALTH STAFF, INCLUDING SCHOOL 17
COUNSELORS , SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS , SCHOOL NURSES , AND SCHOOL SOCIAL 18
WORKERS; AND 19
(II) A COORDINATED COMMUNIT Y SUPPORTS PARTNERSH IP 20
UNDER § 7–447.1 OF THIS SUBTITLE THA T SERVES AND SUPPORT S THE STUDENT. 21
7–447.1. 22
(a) (1) In this section the following words have the meanings indicated. 23
(4) “Consortium” means the Maryland Consortium on Coordinated 24
Community Supports established under subsection (b) of this section. 25
(I) (1) THE CONSORTIUM SHALL DEVE LOP GUIDELINES FOR 26
DEVELOPING A STANDAR DIZED SCREENING QUESTIONNAIR E TO IDENTIFY 27
STUDENTS WITH BEHAVI ORAL HEALTH SERVICES NEEDS. 28
(2) THE GUIDELINES SHALL BE: 29
(I) DEVELOPED IN CONSULTA TION WITH THE FOLLOW ING 30
STAKEHOLDERS SELECTE D BY THE CONSORTIUM: 31
4 HOUSE BILL 657
1. ONE MEMBER OF THE MARYLAND OPTOMETRIC 1
ASSOCIATION; 2
2. ONE MEMBER OF THE STATE TRAUMATIC BRAIN 3
INJURY ADVISORY BOARD; 4
3. ONE MEMBER OF THE MARYLAND EDUCATION 5
COALITION; 6
4. ONE MEMBER OF THE MARYLAND ASSOCIATION OF 7
SCHOOL HEALTH NURSES; 8
5. 4. ONE MEMBER OF THE DIVISION OF EARLY 9
INTERVENTION AND SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES IN THE DEPARTMENT ; 10
6. 5. ONE MEMBER OF THE MARYLAND ACADEMY OF 11
AUDIOLOGY; 12
7. 6. ONE MEMBER OF THE MARYLAND ASSOCIATION OF 13
NONPUBLIC SPECIAL EDUCATION FACILITIES; 14
8. 7. ONE EXPERT IN EARLY C HILDHOOD TRAUMA AND 15
DEVELOPMENT ; AND 16
9. 8. ONE EXPERT ON DATA PR OTECTION; 17
(II) DEVELOPED USING AN EV IDENCE–BASED MEASUREMENT 18
APPROACH; AND 19
(III) UPDATED EVERY 5 YEARS. 20
SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 21
1, 2022. 22