HB 2562 Summary

• Requires each school district and charter school to hire at least one school counselor for every 550 enrolled students beginning in the 2024-2025 school year, subject to appropriation of sufficient funds.

• Schools with fewer than 550 students must either hire a part-time school counselor or enter into an intergovernmental agreement with other districts to contract for counselor services.

• Establishes school counselor certification requirements through the state board of education, effective June 30, 2020, with standards conforming to national school counselor association standards.

• Creates a school counseling plan grant fund administered by the Department of Education to distribute grants to schools and districts that adopt comprehensive school counseling plans meeting specified criteria including confidentiality policies, parent notification procedures, and community referral processes.

• Appropriates $19 million in fiscal year 2019-2020, increasing by $19 million annually through fiscal year 2023-2024, reaching $95 million in fiscal year 2023-2024.