SB17-068 Summary

• Expands the Behavioral Health Care Professional Matching Grant Program to serve all public school grades (elementary through high school) instead of only secondary schools, funding school nurses, psychologists, social workers, and counselors to provide substance abuse and behavioral health care.

• Expands the School Counselor Corps Grant Program to include elementary, middle, junior high, and high schools, with the goal of increasing school counselor availability to improve graduation rates and postsecondary education enrollment.

• Requires grant recipients to increase funding for school health professionals and counselors beyond baseline levels rather than replace existing funding sources, ensuring net growth in support services.

• Establishes grant application criteria including student-to-professional ratios, community partnerships, staff training plans, and prioritizes schools with high dropout rates, remediation rates, and at-risk student populations.

• Becomes effective 90 days after final adjournment of the 2017 legislative session (August 9, 2017) unless subject to voter approval through referendum petition.