LRB-1213/P3
EAW:amn
2023 - 2024 LEGISLATURE
DOA:......Kretschmann, BB0231 - Aid for school-based mental health professionals; staff
For 2023-2025 Budget -- Not Ready For Introduction
An Act ...; relating to: the budget.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
education
Primary and secondary education
School mental health and pupil wellness; categorical aid
This bill changes the types of expenditures that are eligible for reimbursement under the state categorical aid program related to pupil mental health.
Under current law, DPI must make payments to school districts, independent charter schools, and private schools participating in parental choice programs (local education agency) that increased the amount they spent to employ, hire, or retain social workers. 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 in the preceding school year over the amount it expended in the school year immediately preceding the preceding school year. If, after making those payments, there is money remaining in the appropriation account for that aid program, DPI makes additional payments to eligible local education agencies. The amount of those additional payments is determined based on the amount remaining in the appropriation account and the amount spent by eligible local education agencies to employ, hire, and retain social workers during the previous school year.
The bill expands eligibility for the payments under the aid program to include spending on school counselors, school social workers, school psychologists, and school nurses (pupil services professionals). The bill also eliminates the two tier reimbursement structure of the aid program and eliminates the requirement that a local education agency is eligible for the aid only if the local education agency increased its spending. Under the bill, any local education agency that made expenditures to employ, hire, or retain pupil services professionals during the previous school year is eligible for reimbursement under the aid program.
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1. 20.255 (2) (da) of the statutes is repealed.
****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) (db) of the statutes is created to read:
20.255 (2) (db) Aid for school-based mental health professionals; staff. The amounts in the schedule for aid under s. 115.364.
****Note: This Section
involves a change in an appropriation that must be reflected in the revised schedule in s. 20.005, stats.
Section
3. 115.364 (title) of the statutes is amended to read:
115.364 (title) Aid for school school-based mental health
programs professionals; staff.
Section
4. 115.364 (1) (intro.) of the statutes is renumbered 115.364 (1) and amended to read:
115.364 (1) In this section:, “
pupil services professional” means a school counselor, school social worker, school psychologist, or school nurse.
Section
5. 115.364 (1) (a), (am) and (b) of the statutes are repealed.
Section
6. 115.364 (2) (a) (intro.) and 1. of the statutes are consolidated, renumbered 115.364 (2) (a) and amended to read:
115.364 (2) (a) Beginning in the 2018-19 2023-24 school year and annually thereafter, the state superintendent shall do all of the following: 1. Subject, subject to par. (b), from the appropriation under s. 20.255 (2) (da), pay to an eligible (db), reimburse a school district board, the operator of a charter school established under s. 118.40 (2r) or (2x), or the governing body of a private school participating in a program under s. 118.60 or 119.23 for an amount equal to 50 percent of the amount by which the school district increased its expenditures made by the school board, operator, or governing body in the preceding school year to employ, hire, or retain social workers 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, including pupil services professionals who provided telehealth services.
Section
7. 115.364 (2) (a) 2. and 3. of the statutes are repealed.
Section
8. 115.364 (2) (b) 1. of the statutes is renumbered 115.364 (2) (b) and amended to read:
115.364 (2) (b) If the appropriation under s. 20.255 (2) (da) (db) in any fiscal year is insufficient to pay the full amount of aid under par. (a), the state superintendent shall prorate state aid payments among the school
districts, private schools, and independent charter schools boards, operators of charter schools established under s. 118.40 (2r) and (2x), and governing bodies of private schools participating in a program under s. 118.60 or 119.23 that are eligible for the aid.
Section
9. 115.364 (2) (b) 2. of the statutes is repealed.
(End)
