Bill > A4086

Introduced Session

This bill would permit a student assistance coordinator, school counselor, or school psychologist or other mental health professional working in a school district to refer, or help facilitate the referral of, a student to a private individual licensed to provide professional counseling, for mental health assessments and services. An individual licensed to provide professional counseling would include, but not be limited to, a psychiatrist, certified social worker, licensed clinical social worker, licensed social worker, licensed marriage and family therapist, certified psychoanalyst, or licensed psychologist. A student assistance coordinator, school counselor, or school psychologist or other mental health professional working in a school district will not be able to refer a student to a private individual licensed to provide professional counseling with whom the district employee, or the employee's immediate family, or the employee in combination with his or her family has a significant beneficial interest. In the case of a student who is not legally permitted to consent on his own to the assessments and services, the student's parent or guardian will be notified of the referral or the facilitation of the referral, and the parent or guardian will be required to consent prior to the provision of any assessment or service by the licensed private individual. In the case of a referral or the facilitation of a referral of a student to a private individual licensed to provide professional counseling, the bill provides that neither the school district nor the individual making the referral or facilitating the referral will be required to bear the cost of the assessments and services provided to the student. This bill would not limit a school district's authority to provide mental health assessments and services to students prior to or after a referral or the facilitation of a referral has been made to a private individual licensed to provide professional counseling.

Committee Categories

Lou Greenwald (D)*,  Pam Lampitt (D)*,  Mila Jasey (D),  Yvonne Lopez (D),  Angela Mcknight (D),  Pedro Mejia (D),  Sterley Stanley (D),  Anthony Verrelli (D),  Benjie Wimberly (D), 

Received in the Senate, Referred to Senate Education Committee (on 06/20/2022)

Official Document