This bill proposes an appropriation of funds to the New Hampshire Department of Education specifically for the multi-tiered system of support (MTSS-B) for children's mental health. The MTSS-B framework is designed to support the behavioral health and wellness of students by fostering collaboration between schools and community mental health agencies, ensuring mental health counseling is provided by trained professionals, and integrating evidence-based interventions within school settings. The bill highlights the success of the MTSS-B framework in improving student behavior, school climate, and academic achievement, citing the Laconia school district as an example where student problem behaviors dropped significantly after implementing MTSS-B.

The financial aspect of the bill includes an appropriation of $1,000,000 for each of the fiscal years ending June 30, 2024, and June 30, 2025, to fulfill statutory duties under RSA 135-F:5, and additional funds totaling $1,061,000 for FY 2024 and $1,077,000 for FY 2025 to support nine new positions within the Department of Education. The bill specifies that available discretionary funds from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 should be used first, with any remaining necessary funds to come from the state's general funds. The effective date of the act is set for July 1, 2023. The fiscal note indicates that there are deletions in the bill regarding the fiscal impact on state, county, local, and other funding sources, and an insertion that specifies the funding source as discretionary ARPA funds or general funds. It is noted that the Department of Education currently uses federal grants for this purpose and that state funding would preclude the pursuit of further federal grants.