Bill > HB496

This bill aims to expand the availability of school-based mental health services and behavioral supports for students. It does this by: 1. Altering the membership of the School Safety Subcabinet Advisory Board to include more mental health professionals, restorative approaches practitioners, community school coordinators, and representatives of traumatized students and schools. 2. Beginning in fiscal year 2023, requiring the Governor to include $10 million in the annual budget to provide grants to local school systems. These grants must be used to hire or contract with school psychologists, social workers, counselors, and behavioral specialists to expand school-based mental health services; hire restorative approaches coordinators; develop community schools and provide wraparound services; and create more trauma-informed schools. 3. Requiring local school systems receiving these grants to report annually on their use of the funds and progress towards meeting mental health and behavioral support needs of their student populations. The bill also makes some other changes related to school safety and security, such as defining the roles and requirements for school security employees.

Budget and Finance

http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Legislation/Details/HB0496?ys=2021RS