Bill Summary – FastDemocracy

                                                               23LSO-0249
                                STATE OF WYOMING
                                HOUSE BILL NO. HB0034
     School finance-mental health services.
     Sponsored by: Joint Education Interim Committee
                                         A BILL
                                            for
 AN ACT relating to school finance; creating a program for
 school districts to apply for competitive grants to assist
 in providing mental health services to     K-12     public
 education students for two        (2)    years;     providing an
 appropriation;       requiring reporting; and providing for an
 effective date.
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 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:
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        Section 1.
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        (a)     For school year      2023-2024       and school year
 2024-2025, to augment amounts within the education resource
 block grant model available to districts to address the
 mental health needs of    the       K-12    student population,     a
 school district may apply to    the state department of
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                         STATE OF WYOMING                    23LSO-0249
 education for a grant under this section. Amounts awarded
 under this section shall be in addition to and shall not be
 considered in   determining the school foundation program
 amount under the education resource block grant model
 pursuant to W.S. 21-13-309.
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        (b)   A    grant awarded under this section shall not
 exceed one hundred twenty thousand dollars                      ($120,000.00)
 per year. Application for a grant under this section shall
 be on a form and in a manner specified by rule of the
 department, shall be filed with the department on or before
 June 30 to secure a grant during the immediately succeeding
 school year, and shall at a minimum include:
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              (i)      A     proposal documenting the need for
 additional funds to service the mental health needs of the
 students enrolled in the district;
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              (ii)         The purpose, plan, services or programs to
 be offered, and timeline for expenditure of grant amounts;
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              (iii)        Other necessary information required by
 the department.
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                          STATE OF WYOMING                               23LSO-0249
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        (c)   Not later than August 15 of the applicable school
 year and following review of applications submitted under
 this section,        the department shall notify applicant
 districts of     its decision to    award or    deny     a grant
 application and shall provide each applicant district       a
 written statement of the reasons for approving or denying
 the application.          If an     application is    approved,         the
 department shall award the grant from amounts made
 available by    legislative appropriation from the public
 school foundation program account for purposes of   this
 section.
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        (d)   Each district receiving            a grant under this
 section shall report to the department on the expenditure
 of amounts awarded under this section,         the number of
 students that received services as a result of the grant
 and the impact of the services or programs offered. Each
 applicant shall provide other information as required by
 rule of the department.
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        (e)   The department of     education shall promulgate
 rules necessary to carry out this section.
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                          STATE OF WYOMING                       23LSO-0249
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        Section 2.          Not later than August 1, 2024, and again
 on August        1,   2025,      the department of    education shall
 provide to the joint education interim committee findings
 and recommendations on the programs and services offered as
 a result of the grant program created by section 1 of this
 act and shall include any recommendations for refinement of
 components within the education resource block grant model
 resourcing services or      programs supporting the mental
 health of K-12 public education students.
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        Section 3.          There is appropriated eleven million five
 hundred twenty thousand dollars ($11,520,000.00) from the
 public school foundation program account to the department
 of education for the grant program established by section 1
 of this act. This appropriation shall be for the period
 beginning July    1,     2023      and ending June   30,   2025.       This
 appropriation shall not be transferred or expended for any
 other purpose and any unexpended,      unobligated funds
 remaining from this appropriation shall revert as provided
 by law on    June     30,      2025.    It is    the intent of    the
 legislature that this appropriation not be included in the
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                    STATE OF WYOMING                     23LSO-0249
 standard budget for the department of education for the
 immediately succeeding fiscal biennium.
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        Section    4.   This act is   effective immediately upon
 completion of all acts necessary for a bill to become law
 as provided by   Article      4,    Section   8   of the Wyoming
 Constitution.
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                                     (END)
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