SB1560: MENTAL HLTH-KIDS-BEACON

Legislative Summary

Reinserts the provisions of the bill with the following changes. Provides that on or before September 1, 2026, the State Board of Education, in consultation with the Children's Behavioral Health Transformation Team in the Office of the Governor and relevant stakeholders, shall report its work and make available resource materials, including model procedures (rather than policies) and guidance informed by a phased approach to implementing universal mental health screening in schools. Provides that the model school district procedures (rather than policies) to facilitate the implementation of mental health screenings, shall include specified matters. Provides that mental health screenings shall be offered by school districts to students enrolled in grade 3 (rather than kindergarten) through grade 12, at least once a year, beginning with the 2027-2028 school year. Provides that the requirement to offer mental health screenings shall be in effect only for school years in which the State has successfully procured a screening tool that offers a self-report option for students and is made available to school districts at no cost. In provisions concerning youth left in a psychiatric hospital beyond medical necessity, requires a hospital to attempt to contact the youth and the youth's parents, guardian, or caregiver about the BEACON portal and assist with entering the youth's information into the BEACON portal to begin the process of connecting the youth and family to available resources (rather than assist with connections to the designated Family Support Program coordinator in the service area by providing educational materials developed by the Department of Healthcare and Family Services).