SCHOOLS: Requires the state Department of Education to create a program to recruit, hire, and retain mental health professionals (OR INCREASE GF EX See Note)

Education Labor

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: C. Denise Marcelle
Last action: 2026-03-09
Official status: Pending House Education - Sched. for 5/19/26
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not specify exact funding amounts or sources.

School Mental Health Professionals Program

This bill requires the Louisiana Department of Education to create a program that helps schools hire and keep mental health professionals like counselors, social workers, school psychologists, and other behavioral specialists.

What This Bill Does

Requires the state Department of Education to make a plan for hiring more mental health experts in public schools.
Includes counselors, social workers, school psychologists, and other behavioral specialists in the program.
Aims to meet or exceed a ratio of one mental health professional per 250 students across all Louisiana public schools.

Who It Names or Affects

Public elementary and secondary schools in Louisiana
Mental health professionals working or planning to work in these schools

Terms To Know

mental health professional: A person who helps students with their emotional, mental, and behavioral needs.
ratio: The relationship between two numbers or amounts. In this case, it's the number of mental health professionals compared to the number of students.

Limits and Unknowns

This bill will only take effect after the Louisiana Legislature provides funding for it.
It does not specify how much money is needed or where the funds will come from.

Bill History

2026-03-09 H
Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Education.
2026-02-27 H
First appeared in the Interim Calendar on 2/27/2026.
2026-02-25 H
Under the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on Education.
2026-02-25 H
Prefiled.

Official Summary Text

SCHOOLS: Requires the state Department of Education to create a program to recruit, hire, and retain mental health professionals (OR INCREASE GF EX See Note)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HLS 26RS-1035 ORIGINAL
2026 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 395
BY REPRESENTATIVE MARCELLE
SCHOOLS: Requires the state Department of Education to create a program to recruit, hire,
and retain mental health professionals
1 AN ACT
2 To enact R.S. 17:173.2, relative to mental health professionals in public schools; to require
3 the state Department of Education to create a program to increase the number of
4 mental health professionals working in public elementary and secondary schools; to
5 provide for effectiveness; and to provide for related matters.
6 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
7 Section 1. R.S. 17:173.2 is hereby enacted to read as follows:
8 §173.2. School mental health professionals; recruitment and retention program
9 A. The state Department of Education shall create an incentive program for
10 the purpose of recruiting, hiring, and retaining qualified mental health professionals
11 to work in public elementary and secondary schools. Such professionals shall
12 include counselors, social workers, school psychologists, and other behavioral health
13 specialists.
14 B. Through the administration of the program, the department shall make
15 every effort to meet or exceed a ratio of one mental health professional per two
16 hundred fifty students across all public schools in Louisiana.
17 Section 2. The provisions of Section 1 of this Act shall become effective when an
18 Act of the Louisiana Legislature containing a specific appropriation of monies for the
19 implementation of the provisions of this Act becomes effective.
Page 1 of 2
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.
HLS 26RS-1035 ORIGINAL
HB NO. 395
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HB 395 Original 2026 Regular Session Marcelle
Abstract: Requires the state Dept. of Education to create a program to recruit, hire, and
retain mental health professionals.
Proposed law requires the state Dept. of Education (DOE) to create an incentive program for
the purpose of recruiting, hiring, and retaining qualified mental health professionals to work
in public elementary and secondary schools.
Requires DOE to make every effort to meet or exceed a ratio of at least one mental health
professional per 250 students across all public schools in the state.
Proposed law is subject to the appropriation of funds by the legislature.
(Adds R.S. 17:173.2)
Page 2 of 2
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.