Mississippi K-12 and Postsecondary Mental Health Task Force; extend operation of.

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To: Education
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026

By: Senator(s) Boyd

SENATE BILL NO. 2496

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 1, CHAPTER 431, LAWS OF 2024, TO 1
EXTEND THE OPERATION OF THE MISSISSIPPI K-12 AND POSTSECONDARY 2
MENTAL HEALTH TASK FORCE FOR ONE ADDITIONAL YEAR; TO PROVIDE THAT 3
THE TASK FORCE SHALL DEVELOP AND REPORT ITS FINDINGS AND 4
RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE ON OR BEFORE 5
OCTOBER 1, 2026; TO DISSOLVE THE TASK FORCE UPON PRESENTATION OF 6
THE REPORT DUE ON OR BEFORE OCTOBER 1, 2026; AND FOR RELATED 7
PURPOSES. 8
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 9
SECTION 1. Section 1, Chapter 431, Laws of 2024, is amended 10
as follows: 11
Section 1. (1) There is hereby established the "Mississippi 12
K-12 and Postsecondary Mental Health Task Force," created to 13
address growing concerns related to student mental health. The 14
goal of the task force shall include, but not be limited to, 15
drawing on available data to determine challenges in Mississippi 16
as it relates to the mental health of students ranging from K-12 17
through the community college and university systems; assessing 18
public and private resources currently available to students who 19
need help managing mental health issues; assessing training and 20
procedures in place for teachers, school district personnel and 21
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community college and university personnel; and determining where 22
gaps exist in training and resources; exploring partnerships 23
across communities to better serve students; and examining 24
successful programs in Mississippi and across the nation. The 25
task force shall develop recommendations to the Legislature on 26
changes to policy and laws in Mississippi with a goal of better 27
identifying students at all levels struggling with mental health 28
issues; training school, community college and university 29
personnel related to student mental health, and thus improving 30
health outcomes and the probability of student success. 31
(2) The members of the task force shall be as follows: 32
(a) The Chairmen of the Education Committees of the 33
Mississippi Senate and the Mississippi House of Representatives, 34
or their designees from their respective committee membership; 35
(b) The Chairmen of the Medicaid Committees of the 36
Mississippi Senate and the Mississippi House of Representatives, 37
or their designees from their respective committee membership; 38
(c) The Chairmen of the Universities and Colleges 39
Committees of the Mississippi Senate and the Mississippi House of 40
Representatives, or their designees from their respective 41
committee membership; 42
(d) The Superintendent of the Mississippi Department of 43
Education, or his or her designee; 44
(e) The Executive Director of the Mississippi 45
Department of Mental Health, or his or her designee; 46
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(f) The Director of the Mississippi Division of 47
Medicaid, or his or her designee; 48
(g) The State Health Officer of the Mississippi 49
Department of Health, or his or her designee; 50
(h) One (1) psychiatrist with expertise in treating 51
children to be appointed by the Governor; 52
(i) One (1) clinical psychologist with expertise in 53
treating children appointed by the Lieutenant Governor; 54
(j) One (1) school psychologist employed or contracted 55
by a Mississippi Public School District, to be named by the 56
Mississippi Association of Psychologists in the Schools; 57
(k) One (1) public school teacher appointed by the 58
Governor; 59
(l) One (1) employee of a university counseling center, 60
or a person otherwise responsible for coordinating or providing 61
student mental health services on campus, appointed by the 62
Governor; 63
(m) One (1) public school counselor appointed by the 64
Lieutenant Governor; 65
(n) One (1) employee of a community college counseling 66
center, or a person responsible for coordinating or providing 67
student mental health services on campus, appointed by the 68
Lieutenant Governor; 69
(o) One (1) school nurse employed in a Mississippi 70
public school to be appointed by the Superintendent of Education; 71
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(p) One (1) employee of a non-profit provider of mental 72
and behavioral health services to youth, appointed by the 73
Lieutenant Governor; 74
(q) One (1) employee of a community mental health 75
provider that provides services to a Mississippi public 76
school * * *, appointed by the Governor; 77
(r) One (1) member of the Mississippi Youth Council, 78
selected by the members of the council; 79
(s) One (1) family advocacy representative to be 80
appointed by the Executive Director of the Mississippi Coalition 81
for Citizens with Disabilities; and 82
(t) The Chairmen of the Public Health Committees of the 83
Mississippi Senate and the Mississippi House of Representatives, 84
or their designees from their respective committee membership. 85
(3) The task force shall meet within forty-five (45) days of 86
the effective date of this act and shall evaluate the current 87
data, resources, and laws and policies of the State of 88
Mississippi. Specifically, the task force shall: 89
(a) Collect and analyze publicly available data and 90
statistics related to the current state of student mental health, 91
K-12 through the community college and university level; 92
(b) Explore the impact of trauma and mental health 93
issues on student behavior, dropout and graduation rates, academic 94
achievement, employment and related issues; 95
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(c) Evaluate currently available resources for 96
addressing student mental health including, but not limited to, 97
partnerships with nonprofits or experts, telehealth opportunities, 98
inpatient and outpatient resources; 99
(d) Review mental health training and professional 100
development provided to K-12 school personnel and school personnel 101
at community colleges and universities for classroom management, 102
identification, referral, intervention and prevention; 103
(e) Evaluate successful strategies for addressing 104
challenges in student mental health in Mississippi and across the 105
nation; 106
(f) Review the current workforce landscapes as it 107
relates to psychologists, nurses, counselors, behavior 108
interventionists and others who work in schools, community 109
colleges and universities, and consider strategies to recruit 110
sufficient personnel if there are workforce strategies; 111
(g) Explore the effect of a multi-tiered wellness 112
program that is conducive to growth, achievement, cultivating 113
resilience, motivation and culturally sensitive personal 114
development; and 115
(h) Review any other matters related to the above 116
issues or student mental health in Mississippi. 117
(4) The task force may request the assistance of the 118
Mississippi Department of Education, Mississippi Community College 119
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Board, Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning, Mississippi 120
Department of Health, the Mississippi Department of Mental Health, 121
the University of Mississippi School of Medicine; the Mississippi 122
Division of Medicaid or any other related agency, entity or 123
organization with expertise in student mental health issues and 124
services. 125
(5) The Chairmen of the Education Committees in the 126
Mississippi Senate and Mississippi House of Representatives shall 127
call the first meeting. The members of the task force shall elect 128
a chair from among the members at its first meeting. The task 129
force shall develop and report its findings and recommendations to 130
the Mississippi Legislature on or before October 1, 2024, and 131
again on or before October 1, 2026. A majority of the membership 132
shall be required to approve any final report and recommendation. 133
Meetings of the task force shall be held at the State Capitol; 134
however, if it is not feasible for the task force to hold an 135
in-person meeting, the task force may convene utilizing an online 136
meeting platform that is accessible for viewing by the public. 137
(6) The Joint Legislative Committee on Performance 138
Evaluation and Expenditure Review shall provide necessary clerical 139
support for the meetings of the task force and the preparation of 140
the report. 141
(7) The task force shall be dissolved upon presentation of 142
its report due on or before October 1, 2026. 143
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ST: Mississippi K-12 and Postsecondary Mental
Health Task Force; extend operation of.
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from 144
and after its passage. 145