The bill amends West Virginia Code 18-2-5b to allow the State Board of Education to delegate its Medicaid provider status to public charter schools, thereby enabling these schools to provide Medicaid services to eligible students. It updates references to regional education service agencies and mandates that the State Board include information about public charter schools in its annual Medicaid-related report to the Legislature. Additionally, the bill establishes a School Health Services Advisory Committee tasked with advising the Secretary of the Department of Human Services and the State Superintendent of Schools on improving the provision of Medicaid services in public charter schools.

The advisory committee will consist of various stakeholders, including representatives from the Department of Education, Department of Human Services, educational services cooperatives, and the Governor's Task Force on School Health. The committee is responsible for reporting its findings and recommendations to the State Board and the Department of Human Services, which will be included in the annual report to the Legislature. The bill emphasizes the importance of ensuring that public charter schools can effectively bill for and receive Medicaid reimbursements for eligible services provided to students.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 18-2-5b
Committee Substitute: 18-2-5b
Enrolled Committee Substitute: 18-2-5b