NC H1021

Appropriates $50,000,000 in recurring General Fund dollars to the Department of Public Instruction for the 2024-2025 fiscal year to establish a School Mental Health Grant Program, with up to $75,000 annually available for administrative costs.

Requires the Department to award grants to public school units based on need, prioritizing units with higher proportions of students lacking mental health access, including uninsured students and students with disabilities.

School units must use grant funds to contract with eligible mental health support personnel including school counselors, psychologists, social workers, psychiatrists, clinical mental health counselors, and substance use disorder professionals.

Establishes a Mental Health Worker Loan Repayment Program administered by the State Education Assistance Authority, providing eligible mental health workers with awards equal to 20% of their student debt if they graduated from a University of North Carolina constituent institution and work full-time in a high-need tier one or tier two area.

Mental Health Worker Loan Repayment Program receives $50,000,000 in recurring General Fund dollars for the 2024-2025 fiscal year, with the Authority retaining up to $500,000 annually for administration; awards distributed by October 1 each year for a maximum of five years per recipient.