The bill establishes a new mental health program for K-12 public school students in Wyoming, administered by the Department of Education. This program aims to identify and support students facing mental health challenges, providing necessary referrals to appropriate services. Each participating school district will have the option to implement the program and is required to report on expenditures, the number of students served, and the impact of the services provided. Additionally, schools must notify parents or guardians if their child is identified as needing services under this program.
To fund the program, the bill reappropriates up to five million dollars from the public school foundation program account and allocates an additional eight hundred five thousand dollars for the 2025-2026 school year. The funding will support the creation of community project manager and community support coordinator positions in participating districts, as well as two full-time positions within the Department of Education for program administration. The bill also repeals a previous appropriation provision and mandates a report to the joint education interim committee by August 1, 2026, detailing the program's effectiveness and recommendations for addressing mental health needs in schools.