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132nd MAINE LEGISLATURE
FIRST REGULAR SESSION-2025
Legislative Document No. 858H.P. 544 House of Representatives, March 4, 2025
An Act to Ensure Behavioral and Mental Health Services Are
Available to Students by Providing Grants to Schools That Contract
for Those Services
Reference to the Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs suggested and ordered
printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative GRAMLICH of Old Orchard Beach.
Cosponsored by Representatives: BRENNAN of Portland, CROCKETT of Portland, DODGE
of Belfast, MURPHY of Scarborough, SARGENT of York. Page 1 - 132LR1832(01)
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2 is amended to read:
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4 BEHAVIORAL AND MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID TRAINING
5 is enacted to read:
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8 provide grants to school administrative units that contract for behavioral and mental health
9 services provided by licensed behavioral and mental health service providers.
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11 section may be used only for behavioral and mental health services that are not otherwise
12 covered or reimbursable through the MaineCare program. Funds must be used in a manner
13 that ensures that contracted behavioral and mental health service providers do not supplant
14 qualified and available school administrative unit behavioral and mental health staff.
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16 under this section, the department shall provide grant funds according to the population of
17 a school administrative unit as follows:
18 A. Two hundred fifty or fewer students, $3,000;
19 B. Two hundred fifty-one students to 500 students, $6,000; and
20 C. More than 500 students, $9,000.
21 The following appropriations and
22 allocations are made.
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25 Initiative: Provides ongoing funds for grants to school administrative units for contracted
26 behavioral and mental health services for students. The grants are based on the population
27 of each school administrative unit.
GENERAL FUND
2025-26 2026-27All Other $1,353,000$1,353,000
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GENERAL FUND TOTAL
$1,353,000$1,353,000
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29 This bill establishes a grant program within the Department of Education to provide
30 grants to school administrative units that contract for behavioral and mental health services
31 provided by licensed behavioral and mental health service providers. The bill limits the use
32 of funds provided through the grant program to behavioral and mental health services that
33 are not otherwise covered or reimbursable through the MaineCare program and provides
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37 Page 2 - 132LR1832(01)
34 that funds must be used in a manner that does not supplant qualified and available school
35 administrative unit behavioral and mental health staff. The bill also provides that the
36 amounts of the grants must be based on a school administrative unit's population and
37 provides ongoing funding for the grants starting in fiscal year 2025-26.
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