19-2137_P1

LRB-2137/P1

FFK:all

2019 - 2020 LEGISLATURE

DOA:......Kretschmann, BB0435 - Mental Health and school climate

For 2019-2021 Budget -- Not Ready For Introduction

An Act ...; relating to: the budget.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

education

Primary and secondary education

1. Mental health programs; aid for pupil services professionals

Under current law, DPI must make payments to school districts, independent charter schools, and private schools participating in a parental choice program that increased the amount they spent to employ, hire, or retain social workers during the two previous school years (eligible local education agency). Under current law, DPI first pays each eligible local education agency 50 percent of the amount by which the eligible local education agency increased its expenditures for social workers over the previous two school years. If, after making these payments, there is money remaining in the appropriation for this aid program, DPI makes additional payments to eligible local education agencies. The amount of these additional payments is determined based on the amount remaining in the appropriation and the amount spent by eligible local education agencies to employ, hire, and retain social workers during the previous school year.

This bill expands eligibility for the first round of payments under this aid program to include increased spending on school counselors, school social workers, school psychologists, or school nurses, or any combination thereof (pupil services professionals), during the previous two school years. Additionally, the bill expands eligibility for the second round of payments to any school district, independent charter school, or private school participating in a parental choice program that made expenditures to employ, hire, or retain pupil services professionals during the previous school year. In other words, for the second round of payments, the bill eliminates the requirement that a school district, independent charter school, or private school increased its expenditures on pupil services professionals.

2. Mental health and school climates; training and grants

Under current law, DPI must provide trainings to school districts and independent charter schools on three specific evidence-based strategies to address student mental health: Screening, Brief Interventions, and Referral to Treatment; Trauma Sensitive Schools; and Youth Mental Health First Aid. Under the bill, DPI must provide trainings on mental health, school safety, and improving school climate, including training on the three evidence-based strategies listed above. In addition, the bill requires DPI to award grants to the Wisconsin Safe and Healthy Schools Training and Technical Assistance Center, Wisconsin Family Ties, Inc., and the Center for Suicide Awareness.

3. Bullying prevention grants

This bill requires DPI to annually award a bullying prevention grant to the nonprofit organization that received the grant in the 2017-18 and 2018-19 school years.

For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:

Section 1. 20.255 (1) (ep) of the statutes is amended to read:

20.255 (1) (ep) Mental health and school climate training program programs and grants. The amounts in the schedule for the mental health and school climate training program programs under s. 115.28 (63) 115.362 (1) and to award grants under s. 115.362 (2).

****Note: This Section involves a change in an appropriation that must be reflected in the revised schedule in s. 20.005, stats.

Section 2. 20.255 (2) (da) of the statutes is amended to read:

20.255 (2) (da) Aid for school mental health programs. The amounts in the schedule for aid to school districts and independent charter schools employ, hire, and retain pupil services professionals under s. 115.364.

Section 3. 115.28 (45) of the statutes is amended to read:

115.28 (45) Grants for bullying prevention. From the appropriation under s. 20.255 (3) (eb), annually award grants a grant to a the nonprofit organization, as defined in s. 108.02 (19), that received an award under this subsection in the 2017-18 and 2018-19 school years to provide training and an online bullying prevention curriculum for pupils in grades kindergarten to 8.

Section 4. 115.28 (63) (title) of the statutes is renumbered 115.362 (title) and amended to read:

115.362 (title) Mental health and school climate training program programs and grants.

Section 5. 115.28 (63) of the statutes is renumbered 115.362 (1), and 115.362 (1) (intro.), as renumbered, is amended to read:

115.362 (1) (intro.) Establish The department shall establish a mental health training support program under which the department provides training on pupil mental health, strategies to improve school climate, and school safety. The department shall provide training on all of the following evidence-based strategies related to addressing mental health issues in schools to school district staff and instructional staff of charter schools under s. 118.40 (2r) or (2x):

Section 6. 115.362 (2) of the statutes is created to read:

115.362 (2) From the appropriation under s. 20.255 (1) (ep), the department shall annually award all of the following:

(a) A grant to the Wisconsin Safe and Healthy Schools Training and Technical Assistance Center.

(b) A grant to Wisconsin Family Ties, Inc., to train individuals to help families understand and access mental health services that are available to children in school and in the community.

(c) A grant to the Center for Suicide Awareness, Inc., to support staff, training, and expenses related to operating a text-based suicide prevention program.

Section 7 . 115.362 (3) of the statutes is created to read:

115.362 (3) The department may promulgate rules to implement and administer this section.

Section 8. 115.364 (1) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:

115.364 (1) (a) “Eligible independent charter school” is a school under contract with one of the entities under s. 118.40 (2r) (b) 1. or with the director under s. 118.40 (2x) that increased the amount it expended in the preceding school year to employ, hire, or retain social workers pupil services professionals over the amount it expended in the school year immediately preceding the preceding school year to employ, hire, or retain social workers pupil services professionals.

Section 9. 115.364 (1) (am) of the statutes is amended to read:

115.364 (1) (am) “Eligible private school” means a private school participating in a parental choice program under s. 118.60 or 119.23 that increased the amount it expended in the preceding school year to employ, hire, or retain social workers pupil services professionals over the amount it expended in the school year immediately preceding the preceding school year to employ, hire, or retain social workers pupil services professionals.

Section 10. 115.364 (1) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:

115.364 (1) (b) “Eligible school district” is a school district that increased the amount it expended in the preceding school year to employ, hire, or retain social workers pupil services professionals over the amount it expended in the school year immediately preceding the preceding school year to employ, hire, or retain social workers pupil services professionals.

Section 11. 115.364 (1) (c) of the statutes is created to read:

115.364 (1) (c) “Pupil services professional" means a school counselor, school social worker, school psychologist, or school nurse.

Section 12. 115.364 (2) (a) 1. of the statutes is amended to read:

115.364 (2) (a) 1. Subject to par. (b), from the appropriation under s. 20.255 (2) (da), pay to an eligible school district an amount equal to 50 percent of the amount by which the school district increased its expenditures in the preceding school year to employ, hire, or retain social workers pupil services professionals over the amount it expended in the school year immediately preceding the preceding school year to employ, hire, or retain social workers pupil services professionals.

Section 13. 115.364 (2) (a) 2. of the statutes is amended to read:

115.364 (2) (a) 2. Subject to par. (b), from the appropriation under s. 20.255 (2) (da), pay to an eligible independent charter school an amount equal to 50 percent of the amount by which the independent charter school increased its expenditures in the preceding school year to employ, hire, or retain social workers pupil services professionals over the amount it expended in the school year immediately preceding the preceding school year to employ, hire, or retain social workers pupil services professionals.

Section 14. 115.364 (2) (a) 3. of the statutes is amended to read:

115.364 (2) (a) 3. Subject to par. (b), from the appropriation under s. 20.255 (2) (da), pay to an eligible private school an amount equal to 50 percent of the amount by which the private school increased it expenditures in the preceding school year to employ, hire, or retain social workers pupil services professionals over the amount it expended in the school year immediately preceding the preceding school year to employ, hire, or retain social workers pupil services professionals.

Section 15. 115.364 (2) (b) 2. a. of the statutes is amended to read:

115.364 (2) (b) 2. a. Subject to subd. 2. b., if, after making the payments required under par. (a), moneys remain in the appropriation account under s. 20.255 (2) (da), the state superintendent shall reimburse eligible school districts, private schools participating in a parental choice program under s. 118.60 or 119.23, and independent charter schools under contract with one of the entities under s. 118.40 (2r) (b) 1. or with the director under s. 118.40 (2x) for an amount equal to expenditures made by the school district, private school, or independent charter school in the preceding school year to employ, hire, or retain social workers pupil services professionals less the any amount of increased expenditures for which the school district, private school, or independent charter school was reimbursed under par. (a).

Section 16. 115.364 (2) (b) 2. b. of the statutes is amended to read:

115.364 (2) (b) 2. b. If the appropriation under s. 20.255 (2) (da) in any fiscal year is insufficient to pay the full amount of aid under subd. 2. a., the state superintendent shall prorate state aid payments among the school districts, private schools, and independent charter schools eligible for the aid.

(End)