| 4 | 3 | | |
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| 5 | 4 | | HOUSE BILL 953 |
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| 6 | 5 | | By Brooks |
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| 7 | 6 | | |
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| 8 | 7 | | |
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| 9 | 8 | | HB0953 |
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| 10 | 9 | | 001139 |
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| 11 | 10 | | - 1 - |
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| 12 | 11 | | |
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| 13 | 12 | | AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, |
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| 14 | 13 | | relative to the School Safety and Mental Health |
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| 15 | 14 | | Act. |
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| 16 | 15 | | |
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| 17 | 16 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE: |
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| 18 | 17 | | SECTION 1. This act is known and may be cited as the "School Safety and Mental |
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| 19 | 18 | | Health Act." |
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| 20 | 19 | | SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, Chapter 2, Part 1, is amended by |
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| 21 | 20 | | adding the following as a new section: |
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| 22 | 21 | | Each LEA and public charter school shall employ at least one (1) full-time |
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| 23 | 22 | | licensed professional school counselor for each school in the LEA or public charter |
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| 24 | 23 | | school. |
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| 25 | 24 | | SECTION 3. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-6-4302, is amended by adding |
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| 26 | 25 | | the following as a new subsection: |
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| 27 | 26 | | ( ) |
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| 28 | 27 | | (1) The Tennessee school safety center shall administer a school safety |
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| 29 | 28 | | infrastructure grant program. The center shall develop a school safety |
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| 30 | 29 | | infrastructure grant application that requires LEAs to describe, at a minimum, |
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| 31 | 30 | | how grant funds: |
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| 32 | 31 | | (A) Will be used to improve and support school safety |
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| 33 | 32 | | infrastructure; |
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| 34 | 33 | | (B) Align with the needs identified in a school security |
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| 35 | 34 | | assessment conducted pursuant to subsection (f); and |
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| 36 | 35 | | |
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| 37 | 36 | | |
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| 38 | 37 | | - 2 - 001139 |
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| 39 | 38 | | |
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| 40 | 39 | | (C) Will be used to support LEA-authorized charter schools, if |
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| 41 | 40 | | applicable. |
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| 42 | 41 | | (2) In order to be eligible to receive grant funds, the LEA must be in |
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| 43 | 42 | | compliance with all state laws, rules, and regulations regarding school safety. |
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| 44 | 43 | | (3) Subject to appropriations, the Tennessee school safety center shall |
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| 45 | 44 | | award grants to LEAs that meet the requirements of this subsection ( ). Any |
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| 46 | 45 | | funds appropriated for this program in any fiscal year that are not expended must |
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| 47 | 46 | | be carried forward for program purposes in future fiscal years. |
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| 48 | 47 | | SECTION 4. This act takes effect July 1, 2025, the public welfare requiring it. |
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