This amendment clarifies rules for behavioral health services in schools by ensuring student education plans take priority over treatment plans, allowing principals to remove providers under certain contracts, and requiring these services be provided during class time unless medically necessary elsewhere.
Louisiana2026Enacted
HB352
Behavioral health services for public school students
Last scannedAug 25, 2026, 3:26 AM
In one sentence
This law requires Louisiana public schools to allow outside behavioral health providers to deliver medically necessary treatment during the school day if a parent presents an evaluation and plan.
What it does
- Requires each public school district to create and publish a policy for handling student behavioral health services on its website and in student handbooks.
- Allows students to receive behavioral health care during class time, including core subjects like math or English, if an evaluation shows it is medically necessary.
- Mandates that schools hold a review meeting within 21 days of receiving a treatment plan to coordinate schedules between teachers and providers.
- States that services can begin before the coordination meeting as long as the provider makes reasonable efforts to work with school staff.
- Limits behavioral health providers from directing, supervising, or evaluating the job performance of teachers or other school employees.
Who it affects
- Public schools and their governing authorities in Louisiana
- Students who have a medical diagnosis requiring behavioral health services during the day
- Parents or legal guardians seeking treatment for their children on campus
- Behavioral health providers hired by families to work within school settings
Limits and unknowns
- The law does not specify how much money schools must spend or if the state will pay for these services.
- It is unclear exactly what steps happen in the dispute resolution process, as the text only states that parties shall engage in a process set forth by the Department of Education.
Plain language
Terms to know
- Public school governing authority
- The group of people who make rules and manage a public school district.
- Behavioral health provider
- A professional chosen by the parent to give mental or behavioral therapy services.
- Medically necessary
- Services that a medical evaluator says are needed for a student's diagnosis and ability to learn.
Official record
Sources
Official summary
STUDENTS: Provides relative to behavioral health services for public school students (EN SEE FISC NOTE LF EX)
Official activity
Bill history
- Effective date: 08/01/2026.H
- Becomes Act No. 944 without the Governor's signature.H
- Sent to the Governor for executive approval.H
- Signed by the President of the Senate.S
- Enrolled and signed by the Speaker of the House.H
- Read by title, roll called, yeas 95, nays 0, Senate amendments concurred in.H
- Scheduled for concurrence on 05/29/2026.H
- Received from the Senate with amendments.H
- Rules suspended. The amended bill was read by title, passed by a vote of 36 yeas and 0 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.S
- Reported without Legislative Bureau amendments. Read by title and passed to third reading and final passage.S
- Committee amendments read and adopted. Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.S
- Reported with amendments.S
- Read second time by title and referred to the Committee on Education.S
- Received in the Senate. Read first time by title and placed on the Calendar for a second reading.S
- Read third time by title, amended, roll called on final passage, yeas 98, nays 0. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.H
- Called from the calendar.H
- Scheduled for floor debate on 04/08/2026.H
- Notice given.H
- Read by title, returned to the calendar.H
- Called from the calendar.H
Changes
Amendments
8 stored
Filed 7
This amendment adds new rules requiring schools and behavioral health providers to hold a meeting within three weeks to plan how mental health services will work inside the classroom without disrupting learning.
This amendment updates the rules for behavioral health services in schools to allow virtual supervision with privacy protections and permits services outside the classroom when medically necessary.
This amendment updates the rules for behavioral health services in schools to allow virtual supervision with privacy protections and permits services outside the classroom when medically necessary.
This amendment records that the House of Representatives voted to agree with changes made by the Senate to a bill about behavioral health services for public school students.
This amendment clarifies that schools can decide if principals may remove behavioral health staff and ensures these new mental health meetings do not replace or override existing special education plans.
This amendment clarifies that contracts can set rules for removing behavioral health staff and ensures these new services do not replace or conflict with existing special education plans.