An Act
ENROLLED HOUSE
BILL NO. 4106 By: Vancuren, Lawson, and Frix
of the House
and
Pemberton and Kirt of the
Senate
An Act relating to schools; requiring school
districts to maintain protocol for responding to
students in mental health crisis; directi ng protocol
to be developed, mainta ined, and implemented in
certain partnership; prescribing provider
requirements; listing minimum requirements for
protocol; requiring notificati on of a parent or legal
guardian if student under certain age receives
certain identification; requiring consent from a
parent or legal guardian for certain actions except
in emergencies; prescribing compliance with certain
federal laws; providing for read y access and regular
training on protocol; requiring working agreement
between the school district and provider; providing
for review of protocol effectiveness; establishing
frequency for review and consideration of updates;
directing submission of protoco l and working
agreement to the State Department of Education;
directing sharing of protocols and agreements with
the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse
Services; authorizing agencies to provide revisions
to protocol; directing agencies to prov ide technical
assistance; providing certain construction; amending
70 O.S. 2021, Section 24-158, which relates t o the
Oklahoma Prevention Needs Assessment Survey;
requiring prior written notification to parents and
legal guardians of students to be adminis tered
certain survey; providing for notification of opt
out; directing submis sion of survey prior to
administration; providing for codification; providing
an effective date; and declaring an emergency.
ENR. H. B. NO. 4106 Page 2
SUBJECT: Schools
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 24-159 of Title 70, unless there
is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
A. Each public school dis trict shall maintain a protocol for
responding to students in mental health crisis with the goal of
preventing student suicide, self-harm, and harm to others.
1. The protocol shall be developed , maintained, and implemented
in partnership with one or more local mental health treatment
providers certified by the Department of Mental Health and Substance
Abuse Services. At least one provider partner shall have:
a. the ability to serve all school-aged children
regardless of insurance status , and
b. the ability and certification to provide mental health
crisis services in the region where students attend
school.
2. Any organization cer tified by the state as a community
mental health center as defined in Section 3 -302 of Title 43A of the
Oklahoma Statutes or a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic
shall serve as a school partner if requested by a school district
located in its state-designated service area.
B. The protocol for responding to mental health crises shall,
at a minimum:
1. Provide a definition of mental health crisis involving
potential for harm to self or others;
2. Document how mental health cris es may be identified by
school administrators, teachers, support employees, and school-based
mental health professionals;
3. Outline nonpunitive steps to safeguard student health and
safety in response to an immediate or potential mental health
crisis;
ENR. H. B. NO. 4106 Page 3
4. Identify local treatment providers and resources available
to support students and families in mental health crisis and ensure
appropriate referrals to treatment;
5. Outline a process for ensuring parent and caregiver
notification and involvement during an actual or potential mental
health crisis; and
6. Document how student privacy will be protected in compliance
with applicable state and federal laws.
C. If a student who is under eighteen (18) years of age is
identified as being in or at risk of a mental health crisis, the
school shall inform the parent or legal guardian of the student and
offer the treatment referral information contained in the protocol.
Parent or legal guardian consent shall be required for any
subsequent action taken by the school as part of the proto col except
in cases of immediate and life -threatening danger to self or oth ers.
D. All protocols developed by school districts and partner
organizations shall comply with the Health Insurance Portability and
Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 and Family E ducational Rights and
Privacy Act (FERPA) privacy requirements.
E. School administrators, teachers, support employees, and
school-based mental health providers shall be provided ready access
to and regular training on the protocol.
F. A working agreement shall be signed by the school district
board of education and each identified mental health provider
partner outlining all obligations of the parties under the
established protocol and a strategy for regularl y reviewing its
effectiveness using anonymous, nonidentifiable data.
G. Not less than every two (2) years, the school district and
its mental health provider partners shall jointly review the
protocol and working agreements and consider any updates necessary
to better meet the needs of students . School districts and mental
health provider partners shall include in their review process
information gathered from the Oklahoma Prevention Needs Assessment
Survey or an alternative survey, as provided for in Section 24 -158
of Title 70 of the Oklahoma Statutes .
H. Each school district shall submit the latest protocol and
working agreements to the State Department of Education, which shall ENR. H. B. NO. 4106 Page 4
share the protocols and agreement s with the Department of Mental
Health and Substance Abuse Services. These agencies may require
revisions to ensure compliance with applicable laws, regulatio ns,
and established evidence -based practices.
I. The Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services
and the State Department of Education shall prov ide technical
assistance to school districts and their provider partners by:
1. Making available an optional template protocol which
satisfies the provisions of this section;
2. Making available an optional template working agreement
which can be adopted by schools and provider part ners;
3. Providing school districts with lists of local public and
private treatment providers eligible to serve as partners in the
development and maintenance of a protocol;
4. Providing information on any available mental health crisis
phone line;
5. Making available information on evidence-based practices for
meeting the mental health needs of students; and
6. Providing ongoing assistance and consultation as re quested
by a school district.
J. The Board of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services a nd
the State Board of Education may promulgate rules as ne cessary to
ensure compliance with this section.
K. Nothing in this section shall be construed to create,
establish, expand, reduce, contract, or eliminate any civil
liability on the part of any sch ool or school employee.
SECTION 2. AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2021, Section 24 -158, is
amended to read as follows:
Section 24-158. A. The "Oklahoma Prevention Needs Assessment
Survey" means the biennial mental health prevention survey o f public
school students in grades six, eight, ten , and twelve managed by the
Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services.
ENR. H. B. NO. 4106 Page 5
B. Beginning in the 2022 -2023 school year, and biennially
thereafter, public schools shall administer the Oklahoma Prev ention
Needs Assessment Survey, or an alternative survey as provided in
subsection D of this section, for the purpose of providing direction
to schools, school distr icts, and communities to effectively improve
the lives of students regarding a variety of i ssues with a focus on
alcohol, tobacco, other drug use, mental health, academic failure ,
and violence.
C. The Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Servic es
shall maintain the Oklahoma Preven tion Needs Assessment Survey and
shall provide technic al assistance for schools in survey
administration, reporting, planning , and development of school
mental health prevention and intervention strategies informed by t he
survey results.
D. If a school or school district chooses to administer an
alternative survey or assessment tool to fulfill the purpose
described in subsection B of this section, it may apply for a waiver
through the Department of Mental Health and Sub stance Abuse
Services.
E. The school district superintendent or his or her designee
shall provide prior written notification to the parents or legal
guardians of students to be administered the Oklahoma Prevention
Needs Assessment Survey or an alternative survey or assessment tool
adopted pursuant to subsection D of this section. The notificat ion
shall include information to parents and legal guardians that they
may opt their student out of the survey or assessment tool by
providing written notice to the school district.
F. Prior to the biennial administration of the Oklahoma
Prevention Needs Assessment Survey, the Department of Mental Health
and Substance Abuse Services shall submit the survey to the
President Pro Tempore of the Oklahoma State Senate, the Speaker of
the Oklahoma House of Representatives, the chairs of the committees
with responsibility over common ed ucation in both houses of the
Legislature, and the chairs of the committees with responsibility
over public health in both houses of the Legisla ture.
G. The provisions of this section shall be subjec t to the
availability of federal funding. If federal fu nding is insufficient
to provide the Oklahoma Prevention Needs Assessment Survey to public
schools on a biennial basis, administration of the s urvey shall not
be required. ENR. H. B. NO. 4106 Page 6
F. H. The Board of Mental H ealth and Substance Abuse Services
and the State Board o f Education may promulgate rules as necessary
to carry out the provisions of this section.
SECTION 3. This act shall become effective July 1, 2022.
SECTION 4. It being immediately necessary for the preservation
of the public peace, health or safety, an emergency is hereby
declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and
be in full force from and after its passa ge and approval.
ENR. H. B. NO. 4106 Page 7
Passed the House of Representatives the 12th day of May, 2022.
Presiding Officer of the House
of Representatives
Passed the Senate the 28th day of April, 2022.
Presiding Officer of the Senate
OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR
Received by the Office of the Governor this ____________________
day of ___________________, 20_______, at _______ o'clock _______ M.
By: _________________________________
Approved by the Governor of the State of Oklahoma this _____ ____
day of _______________ ____, 20_______, at _______ o'clock _______ M.
_________________________________
Governor of the State of Oklahoma
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE
Received by the Office of the Secretary of State this __________
day of ___________________, 20_______, at _______ o'clock _______ M.
By: _________________________________