HOUSE BILL NO. 6453

A bill to amend 1979 PA 94, entitled

"The state school aid act of 1979,"

by amending sections 11, 31n, and 97c (MCL 388.1611, 388.1631n, and 388.1697c), sections 11 and 31n as amended by 2022 PA 144 and section 97c as added by 2022 PA 93, and by adding sections 31ff, 31gg, and 97g.

The people of the state of michigan enact:

Sec. 11. (1) For the fiscal year ending September 30, 2022, there is appropriated for the public schools of this state and certain other state purposes relating to education the sum of $14,465,414,700.00 from the state school aid fund, the sum of $98,119,400.00 from the general fund, an amount not to exceed $72,000,000.00 from the community district education trust fund created under section 12 of the Michigan trust fund act, 2000 PA 489, MCL 12.262, and an amount not to exceed $100.00 from the water emergency reserve fund. For the fiscal year ending September 30, 2023, there is appropriated for the public schools of this state and certain other state purposes relating to education the sum of $16,754,072,900.00 $16,773,072,900.00 from the state school aid fund, the sum of $112,000,000.00 from the general fund, an amount not to exceed $72,000,000.00 from the community district education trust fund created under section 12 of the Michigan trust fund act, 2000 PA 489, MCL 12.262, and an amount not to exceed $140,400,000.00 from the MPSERS retirement obligation reform reserve fund created under section 147b. In addition, all available federal funds are only appropriated as allocated in this article for the fiscal years year ending September 30, 2022 and September 30, 2023.

(2) The appropriations under this section are allocated as provided in this article. Money appropriated under this section from the general fund must be expended to fund the purposes of this article before the expenditure of money appropriated under this section from the state school aid fund.

(3) Any general fund allocations under this article that are not expended by the end of the fiscal year are transferred to the school aid stabilization fund created under section 11a.

Sec. 31n. (1) From the state school aid fund money appropriated in section 11, there is allocated for 2022-2023 for the purposes of this section an amount not to exceed $77,600,000.00 $80,600,000.00 and from the general fund money appropriated in section 11, there is allocated for 2022-2023 for the purposes of this section an amount not to exceed $1,300,000.00. The department and the department of health and human services shall continue a program to distribute this funding to add licensed behavioral health providers for general education pupils, and shall continue to seek federal Medicaid match funding for all eligible mental health and support services.

(2) The department and the department of health and human services shall maintain an advisory council for programs funded under this section. The advisory council shall define goals for implementation of programs funded under this section, and shall provide feedback on that implementation. At a minimum, the advisory council shall consist of representatives of state associations representing school health, school mental health, school counseling, education, health care, and other organizations, representatives from the department and the department of health and human services, and a representative from the school safety task force created under Executive Order No. 2018-5. The department and department of health and human services, working with the advisory council, shall determine an approach to increase capacity for mental health and support services in schools for general education pupils, and shall determine where that increase in capacity qualifies for federal Medicaid match funding.

(3) The advisory council shall develop a fiduciary agent checklist for intermediate districts to facilitate development of a plan to submit to the department and to the department of health and human services. The department and department of health and human services shall determine the requirements and format for intermediate districts to submit a plan for possible funding under subsection (6). The department shall make applications for funding for this program available to districts and intermediate districts not later than December 1 of each fiscal year for which funds are allocated under this section and shall award the funding not later than February 1 of each fiscal year for which funds are allocated under this section.

(4) The department of health and human services shall seek to amend the state Medicaid plan or obtain appropriate Medicaid waivers as necessary for the purpose of generating additional Medicaid match funding for school mental health and support services for general education pupils. The intent is that a successful state plan amendment or other Medicaid match mechanisms will result in additional federal Medicaid match funding for both the new funding allocated under this section and for any expenses already incurred by districts and intermediate districts for mental health and support services for general education pupils.

(5) From the state school aid fund money allocated under subsection (1), there is allocated for 2022-2023 an amount not to exceed $14,300,000.00 to be distributed to the network of child and adolescent health centers to place a licensed master's level behavioral health provider in schools that do not currently have services available to general education students. Child and adolescent health centers that are part of the network described in this subsection shall provide a commitment to maintain services and implement all available federal Medicaid match methodologies. The department of health and human services shall use all existing or additional federal Medicaid match opportunities to maximize funding allocated under this subsection. The department shall provide funds under this subsection to child and adolescent health centers that are part of the network described in this subsection in the same proportion that funding under section 31a(7) is provided to child and adolescent health centers that are part of the network