1| HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES - FLOOR VERSION | | | 2| STATE OF OKLAHOMA | | | 3| 1st Session of the 59th Legislature (2023) | | | 4|HOUSE BILL 2827 By: Blancett, McBride, Waldron, | | and Alonso-Sandoval of the | 5| House | | | 6| and | | | 7| Pemberton of the Senate | | | 8| | | | 9| AS INTRODUCED | | | 10| An Act relating to schools; creating a grant program | | subject to the availability of funds to employ school | 11| nurses, school counselors, and mental health | | professionals; providing for annual grant awards to | 12| school districts; establishing criteria for grants; | | defining terms; authorizing rule promulgation; | 13| providing for codification; providing an effective | | date; and declaring an emergency. | 14| | | | 15| | | | 16|BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA: | | | 17| SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified | | | 18|in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 1210.198 of Title 70, unless | | | 19|there is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows: | | | 20| A. The State Board of Education shall award grants subject to | | | 21|the availability of funds, to public school districts for the | | | 22|purpose of employing school nurses, school counselors, and mental | | | 23|health professionals to provide services and support to students. | | | 24| | | | arsid1138640 HB2827 HFLR Page 1 ___________________________________________________________________________
1| B. The grants shall be awarded to public school districts | | | 2|annually based upon the following conditions: | | | 3| 1. The districts shall provide half of the funding for the | | | 4|grants and the State Board of Education shall provide the other half | | | 5|of the grant funding; | | | 6| 2. School nurses, school counselors, and mental health | | | 7|professionals employed through the grant program shall complete a | | | 8|training program prescribed by the State Department of Education; | | | 9| 3. School nurses, school counselors, and mental health | | | 10|professionals may be employed by a district on a full-time or | | | 11|part-time basis, or may be employed on a contract basis with a | | | 12|private, third-party provider; and | | | 13| 4. School nurses, school counselors, and mental health | | | 14|professionals employed through the grant program shall spend a | | | 15|minimum amount of time on their respective nursing and counseling | | | 16|duties as required by the State Department of Education. | | | 17| C. As used in this section: | | | 18| 1. "Mental health professionals" means: | | | 19| a. licensed professional counselors (LPCs), | | | 20| b. licensed alcohol and drug counselors (LADCs), | | | 21| c. school psychologists, | | | 22| d. licensed marriage and family therapists (LMFTs), | | | 23| e. licensed clinical social workers (LCSWs), or | | | 24| f. licensed recreational therapists (CTRS/L); | | | arsid1138640 HB2827 HFLR Page 2 ___________________________________________________________________________
1| 2. "School counselor" means a person certified as a school | | | 2|counselor by the State Board of Education who provides student | | | 3|support counseling, academic counseling, or both; and | | | 4| 3. "School nurse" shall have the same meaning as defined in | | | 5|paragraph 7 of Section 1-116 of Title 70 of the Oklahoma Statutes. | | | 6| D. The State Board of Education may promulgate rules to | | | 7|implement the provisions of this section. | | | 8| SECTION 2. This act shall become effective July 1, 2023. | | | 9| SECTION 3. It being immediately necessary for the preservation | | | 10|of the public peace, health or safety, an emergency is hereby | | | 11|declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and | | | 12|be in full force from and after its passage and approval. | | | 13| | | | 14|COMMITTEE REPORT BY: COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS AND BUDGET, dated | |03/02/2023 - DO PASS, As Coauthored. | 15| | | | 16| | | | 17| | | | 18| | | | 19| | | | 20| | | | 21| | | | 22| | | | 23| | | | 24| | | | arsid1138640 HB2827 HFLR Page 3