The bill enacts R.S. 17:416.24, which authorizes public schools in Louisiana to offer annual mental health screenings for students in grades K-12 during the first semester of the school year. Schools must notify parents or legal guardians about the screenings and obtain written consent before conducting them, unless the student is of age or an emancipated minor. The Louisiana Department of Health is tasked with selecting appropriate screening tools and providing them at no cost to schools. Results from the screenings are confidential and must be destroyed within thirty days of notifying the relevant parties. Additionally, the bill prohibits schools from using screening results for decisions related to student instruction or discipline.

Furthermore, the bill adds R.S. 17:3996(B)(89), which specifies that charter schools are exempt from certain statutory mandates, except for the mental health screening requirements outlined in R.S. 17:416.24. This ensures that charter schools must also comply with the new mental health screening provisions, aligning them with public schools in this regard.