AN ACT relating to nationally certified student support personnel.

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AN ACT relating to nationally certified student support personnel. 1
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky: 2
SECTION 1. A NEW SECTION OF KRS CHAPTER 157 IS CREATED TO 3
READ AS FOLLOWS: 4
Notwithstanding any other statute to the contrary: 5
(1) (a) If funds are appropriated by the General Assembly for this purpose, a local 6
board of education shall provide an annual salary supplement to all school 7
social workers: 8
1. Who are employed as a certified employee by the local board of 9
education to provide or coordinate counseling or social work services 10
for students in a public school setting; and 11
2. Who hold an active national certification as a school social worker 12
from the School Social Work Association of America. 13
(b) The salary supplement shall be in the same amount as the salary 14
supplement provided to a public school teacher who has attained 15
certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards 16
as provided in KRS 157.395. If the amount appropriated by the General 17
Assembly is less than the amount necessary to meet the requirements of this 18
paragraph, the salary supplement rece ived by each qualified school social 19
worker shall be reduced proportionately by the Department of Education so 20
that all eligible individuals receive the same amount as a supplement. 21
(c) The supplement shall remain available to a school social worker so lon g as 22
funds are appropriated for this purpose by the General Assembly and the 23
school social worker continues to meet the requirements established by this 24
subsection. The supplement shall cease if the school social worker is 25
employed in another capacity by t he local board where the provision of 26
school social work services is incidental to his or her other duties. 27
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(d) The Department of Education shall: 1
1. Determine how many school social workers qualify for the supplement 2
each year; 3
2. Determine the amount of the supplement available each year for each 4
qualified school social worker based on appropriated funds available; 5
3. Notify each local board of education of the supplement amount 6
available to each qualifying school social worker employed by the 7
local board of education; and 8
4. Develop a process for payment to local boards of education of 9
supplement amounts due; 10
(2) If funds are not appropriated by the General Assembly to support the salary 11
supplement established by subsection (1) of this section, a local bo ard of 12
education may provide an annual salary supplement under the conditions 13
established by subsection (1) of this section using the resources available to the 14
local board of education; and 15
(3) The supplement authorized by this section shall be considered in the calculation 16
for contributions to the Teachers' Retirement System. 17
SECTION 2. A NEW SECTION OF KRS CHAPTER 157 IS CREATED TO 18
READ AS FOLLOWS: 19
Notwithstanding any other statute to the contrary: 20
(1) (a) If funds are appropriated by the General Assembly for this purpose, a local 21
board of education shall provide an annual salary supplement to all school 22
psychologists: 23
1. Who are employed as a certified employee by the local board of 24
education to provide or coordinate s chool psychologist services for 25
students in a public school setting; and 26
2. Who hold an active nationally certified school psychologist credential 27
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from the National Association of School Psychologists. 1
(b) The salary supplement shall be in the same amount as the salary 2
supplement provided to a public school teacher who has attained 3
certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards 4
as provided in KRS 157.395. If the amount appropriated by the General 5
Assembly is less than the amount n ecessary to meet the requirements of this 6
paragraph, the salary supplement received by each qualified school 7
psychologist shall be reduced proportionately by the Department of 8
Education so that all eligible individuals receive the same amount as a 9
supplement. 10
(c) The supplement shall remain available to a school psychologist so long as 11
funds are appropriated for this purpose by the General Assembly and the 12
school psychologist continues to meet the requirements established by this 13
subsection. The supplement shall cease if the school psychologist is 14
employed in another capacity by the local board where the provision of 15
school psychologist services is incidental to his or her other duties. 16
(d) The Department of Education shall: 17
1. Determine how many school psyc hologists qualify for the supplement 18
each year; 19
2. Determine the amount of the supplement available each year for each 20
qualified school psychologist based on appropriated funds available; 21
3. Notify each local board of education of the supplement amount 22
available to each qualifying school psychologist employed by the local 23
board of education; and 24
4. Develop a process for payment to local boards of education of 25
supplement amounts due; 26
(2) If funds are not appropriated by the General Assembly to support the sa lary 27
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supplement established by subsection (1) of this section, a local board of 1
education may provide an annual salary supplement under the conditions 2
established by subsection (1) of this section using the resources available to the 3
local board of education; and 4
(3) The supplement authorized by this section shall be considered in the calculation 5
for contributions to the Teachers' Retirement System. 6