"Mississippi Children's Assessment and Mental Health Opportunity (CAMHEO) Act of 2026"; create to require screenings and assessments.

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To: Education
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026

By: Representative Rosebud

HOUSE BILL NO. 1160

AN ACT TO CREATE THE MISSISSIPPI CHILDREN'S ASSESSMENT AND 1
MENTAL HEALTH EVALUATION OPPORTUNITY (CAMHEO) ACT OF 2026, FOR THE 2
PURPOSE OF PROVIDING MENTAL HEALTH ASSESSMENTS AND SCREENINGS TO 3
PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS IN KINDERGARTEN THROUGH GRADE 12; TO 4
PROVIDE LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS; TO REQUIRE THE STATE BOARD OF 5
EDUCATION AND THE MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH TO 6
DEVELOP THE FRAMEWORK AND GUIDELINES FOR USE BY PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN 7
PROVIDING COMPREHENSIVE, COORDINATED MENTAL HEALTH PREVENTION, 8
SCREENINGS AND ASSESSMENTS, EARLY INTERVENTION AND TREATMENT 9
SERVICES FOR PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS; TO PRESCRIBE THE MINIMUM 10
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE FRAMEWORK AND GUIDELINES; TO CREATE THE 11
CHILDREN'S MENTAL HEALTH PARTNERSHIP, WHICH SHALL BE RESPONSIBLE 12
FOR DEVELOPING THE ASSESSMENTS AND SCREENERS TO BE USED BY 13
CERTIFIED SCHOOL EMPLOYEES TO DETECT ANY MENTAL HEALTH 14
DEFICIENCIES IN STUDENTS; TO PRESCRIBE THE COMPOSITION OF THE 15
PARTNERSHIP; TO REQUIRE THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION, BEFORE THE 16
BEGINNING OF THE 2027-2028 SCHOOL YEAR, TO DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT A 17
POLICY REQUIRING ALL PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO PROVIDE MENTAL 18
HEALTH SCREENINGS AND ASSESSMENTS TO STUDENTS IN KINDERGARTEN 19
THROUGH GRADE 12, WHO EXHIBIT SIGNS OF MENTAL DISTRESS AND 20
INCAPACITY; TO PRESCRIBE THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS OF THE POLICY 21
CONTENT; TO REQUIRE EVERY PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT TO DEVELOP A 22
POLICY FOR INCORPORATING SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT INTO THE 23
DISTRICT'S EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM BEFORE THE BEGINNING OF THE 24
2027-2028 SCHOOL YEAR; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 25
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 26
SECTION 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the 27
Mississippi Children's Assessment and Mental Health Evaluation 28
Opportunity (CAMHEO) Act of 2026. 29
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SECTION 2. Legislative Findings. (1) Statistics 30
demonstrate that one (1) in ten (10) children suffer from mental 31
illness; however, less than one (1) in five (5) of these children 32
receive the treatment they need. Mental illness in children often 33
remains undiscovered for far too long. Fewer than one-half (1/2) 34
of children and adolescents receive psychiatric surveillance and 35
various estimates suggest that between one-third (1/3) and 36
one-fifth (1/5) of mental illnesses in children remain undetected. 37
This occurs not only because of lack of surveillance but also 38
because many families lack the resources or ability to discover 39
these illnesses. Even if a child's symptoms of mental illness are 40
noticeable, it is possible that there will be no one in this 41
child's life with the capacity or desire to recognize the issue. 42
(2) Mental health problems in children can range from very 43
mild to extremely severe. There are certain signs that indicate 44
that a child may need professional help to resolve mental health 45
problems. In children, these signs are sometimes difficult to 46
recognize, as they may be typical of a child's behavior. While 47
some of the symptoms may be mild, other symptoms, such as 48
persistent disobedience or temper tantrums, may be signs of a 49
disorder that requires professional help. In addition, the 50
combination of certain symptoms can create a serious concern. 51
While stress and anxiety alone may be a common symptom in 52
children, these symptoms combined with loneliness, rejection, 53
depression and thoughts of hurting others could create a serious 54
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potential for dangerous behavior and violence. Certain symptoms 55
are rare but extremely worrisome, such as social withdrawal, signs 56
of self-destructive behavior (such as head-banging) and repeated 57
thoughts of death. 58
(3) (a) General symptoms indicating that a child may be 59
suffering from mental illness include: 60
(i) Changes in school performance; 61
(ii) Drug abuse; 62
(iii) Inability to cope; 63
(iv) Changes in sleeping; 64
(v) Defying authority; 65
(vi) Frequent outbursts of anger; and 66
(vii) Hyperactivity. 67
(b) Serious symptoms demonstrated by adults with severe 68
mental diseases or defects can also appear in children, including: 69
(i) Hearing voices; 70
(ii) Hallucinating; and 71
(iii) Aggressive behavior. 72
(c) Some symptoms may be severe enough to require 73
immediate hospitalization. 74
(4) Other indicators may demonstrate an increased risk for 75
mental illness in children. Research shows that children raised 76
by parents with mental illness are more likely to develop mental 77
health issues. Additionally, the Adverse Childhood Experiences 78
(ACE) Study found that certain ACEs such as childhood abuse, 79
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neglect, and growing up in a seriously dysfunctional household may 80
increase the potential for a child to exhibit "social, emotional, 81
and cognitive impairments" that may result in unhealthy behaviors 82
such as violence. 83
(5) Most mental illnesses can be diagnosed or recognized 84
during childhood. One-half (1/2) of all lifetime cases of mental 85
illness are recognizable by age fourteen (14) and three-quarters 86
(3/4) by age twenty-four (24). Children can suffer from many 87
different mental illnesses including: 88
(a) Anxiety; 89
(b) Disruptive behavior; 90
(c) Pervasive development; 91
(d) Eating disorders; 92
(e) Elimination disorders; 93
(f) Affective disorders; 94
(g) Schizophrenic disorders; and 95
(h) Tic disorders. 96
Although advancements have been made over the past few 97
decades to further our understanding of children's mental health, 98
statistics indicating the extremely low rate of detection of these 99
illnesses illustrate that the public's mental health education is 100
far from sufficient. 101
SECTION 3. (1) The State Board of Education and the 102
Mississippi Department of Mental Health shall develop the 103
framework and guidelines to be used by public schools to provide 104
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comprehensive, coordinated mental health prevention, screenings 105
and assessments, early intervention and treatment services for 106
children in kindergarten through Grade 12. The framework and 107
guidelines shall include but not be limited to: 108
(a) Coordinated provider services and interagency 109
referral networks for children in kindergarten through Grade 12 to 110
maximize resources and minimize duplication of services; 111
(b) Guidelines for incorporating social and emotional 112
development into school learning standards and educational 113
programs, pursuant to Section 4 of this act; 114
(c) Protocols for implementing screening and 115
assessment of compulsory-school-age children prior to any 116
admission to an inpatient hospital for psychiatric services; 117
(d) Recommendations regarding budgetary expenses for 118
children's mental health prevention, screenings and assessments, 119
early intervention and treatment across all school districts; 120
(e) Recommendations for state and local mechanisms for 121
integrating federal, state and local funding sources for 122
children's mental health; 123
(f) Building a qualified and adequately trained 124
workforce prepared to provide mental health services for children 125
in kindergarten through Grade 12 and their families; 126
(g) The facilitation of research on best practices and 127
model programs, and dissemination of this information to 128
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Mississippi policymakers, practitioners, and the general public 129
through training, technical assistance and educational materials; 130
(h) A comprehensive, multi-faceted public awareness 131
campaign to reduce the stigma of mental illness and educate 132
families, the general public and other key audiences about the 133
benefits of children's social and emotional development, and how 134
to access services; and 135
(i) The creation of a quality-driven children's mental 136
health system with shared accountability among key state agencies 137
and programs that conducts ongoing needs assessments, uses outcome 138
indicators and benchmarks to measure progress and implements 139
quality data tracking and reporting systems. 140
(2) (a) The Children's Mental Health Partnership, 141
hereinafter referred to as "the partnership," is created. The 142
partnership shall have the responsibility of developing the 143
assessments and screeners to be used by certified school employees 144
to detect any mental health deficiencies in students and to make 145
any recommendation for the provision of care or educational 146
services to ensure the overall health, safety, well-being and 147
academic success. 148
(b) The partnership shall be comprised of the following 149
members: 150
(i) The Executive Director of the Department of 151
Human Services, or his or her designee; 152
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(ii) The Executive Director of the Department of 153
Child Protection Services, or his or her designee; 154
(iii) The State Superintendent of Public 155
Education, or his or her designee; 156
(iv) The Executive Director of the Mississippi 157
Departments of Mental Health, or his or her designee; 158
(v) The Commissioner of the Department of 159
Corrections, or his or her designee; 160
(vi) Three (3) Mental Health Court judges, to be 161
appointed by the Governor, one (1) of whom shall represent each 162
Mississippi Supreme Court District, or their designees; 163
(vii) Three (3) Youth Court judges, to be 164
appointed by the Governor, one (1) of whom shall represent each 165
Mississippi Supreme Court District, or their designees; 166
(viii) The Attorney General, or his or her 167
designee; and 168
(ix) Four (4) representatives of community mental 169
health agencies, which shall represent the four (4) Mississippi 170
Congressional Districts, two (2) of whom shall be appointed by the 171
Lieutenant Governor, and two (2) of whom shall be appointed by the 172
Speaker of the House. 173
(c) Appointed members of the partnership shall be 174
appointed by the appointing authority prescribed in paragraph (b) 175
of this subsection within thirty (30) days of the effective date 176
of this act. The partnership shall hold its first meeting no 177
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later than September 1, 2027, upon the call of the Governor. The 178
partnership, which shall serve without state funded compensation 179
for the performance of their duties as members of the partnership, 180
shall elect among its members, officers to serve as chairman, vice 181
chairman and secretary at its first meeting. A quorum of the 182
partnership shall be eight (8) members. Any vacancy in the 183
partnership shall be filled by the appointing authority. 184
(d) The partnership shall submit a preliminary policy 185
plan to Legislature by January 1, 2027, and shall submit the final 186
policy plan to the State Board of Education on June 30, 2027. 187
Thereafter, the partnership shall submit an annual report to the 188
Legislature on the progress of implementation of the statewide 189
public school mental health assessment and screening program, and 190
and recommendations for revisions of the policy. 191
SECTION 4. (1) Before the beginning of the 2027-2028 school 192
year, the State Board of Education shall develop and implement a 193
policy requiring all public school districts to provide mental 194
health screenings and assessments to students in kindergarten 195
through Grade 12, who exhibit signs of mental distress and 196
incapacity. At a minimum, the policy must: 197
(a) Require each student to receive a periodic mental 198
health screening upon the recommendation of the parents, teachers, 199
other school staff, upon other necessity, or upon request by the 200
student, which must be conducted by a mental health professional 201
employed by the school district, unless the parents express a 202
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desire to see and pay for a private medical or clinical expert, 203
licensed within the state of Mississippi, and for which a bona 204
fide verification of the visit is provided; 205
(b) Provide for improved accessibility to mental health 206
services for students, which would include a proposal for the 207
school to employ more school psychologists, and the opportunity 208
for all students to obtain mental health care, including "open 209
hours," to allow students the ability to visit a mental health 210
professional on school premises of their own accord; 211
(c) Require that teachers and other education staff be 212
properly educated and trained on early identification of mental 213
illness, including how to recognize the symptoms and signs of 214
mental illness, as well as the proper steps to take after a mental 215
illness is suspected. The required training shall also educate 216
school and district personnel on the proper steps that should be 217
taken if any personnel member suspects a mental illness is 218
present; and 219
(d) Require a component of mental health education 220
be included in the school curriculum for students in Grade 5 for 221
the purpose of enhancing and measuring children's school readiness 222
and ability to achieve academic success that would include: 223
(i) Descriptions of the stages of mental and 224
emotional development in children; 225
(ii) How to identify symptoms of mental illness; 226
(iii) Methods of treatment; and 227
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ST: "Mississippi Children's Assessment and
Mental Health Opportunity (CAMHEO) Act of 2026";
create to require screenings and assessments.
(iv) Ways to manage mental illness. 228
(2) Before the beginning of the 2027-2028 school year, every 229
public school district shall develop a policy for incorporating 230
social and emotional development into the district's educational 231
program. The policy shall address teaching and assessing social 232
and emotional skills and protocols for responding to children with 233
social, emotional or mental health problems, or a combination of 234
such problems, that impact learning ability. 235
SECTION 5. This act shall take effect and be in force from 236
and after its passage. 237