HB0034 • 2023

School finance-mental health services.

AN ACT relating to school finance; creating a program for school districts to apply for competitive grants to assist in providing mental health services to K-12 public education students for two (2) years; providing an appropriation; requiring reporting; and providing for an effective date.

Abortion Budget Children Education Healthcare

Inactive

Wyoming marks this bill as inactive, which usually means it is no longer moving in the current session.

Sponsor: Education
Last action: 2023-02-24
Official status: inactive
Effective date: 3/1/2023

Plain English Breakdown

The bill did not become law as it died in committee and is marked as inactive.

School Mental Health Grants

This act creates a program where school districts can apply for grants to help provide mental health services to K-12 students, with reporting requirements and funding from the public school foundation program account.

What This Bill Does

Creates a grant program for two years (2023-2024 and 2024-2025) where school districts can apply for up to $120,000 per year to support mental health services for K-12 students.
Requires applicants to submit detailed proposals that include collaboration with various stakeholders such as parents, teachers, and community members.
Limits the use of grant funds by prohibiting certain activities like recommending puberty blockers or hormone therapy for gender transitioning minors.
Requires the state department of education to review applications and notify districts about their status before August 15 each year.
Necessitates that schools receiving grants report back on how they spent the money, number of students helped, and impact of services.

Who It Names or Affects

School districts in Wyoming
K-12 public education students

Terms To Know

Education Resource Block Grant Model: A funding formula used by the state to distribute money to school districts.
Public School Foundation Program Account: The account from which funds are allocated for public education in Wyoming.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill is marked as inactive and died in committee, so it did not become law.
It does not specify what happens to unspent grant money after the program ends.
Details on how the department of education will enforce compliance with prohibited activities are unclear.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

HB0034H2001

2nd reading • Representative Clouston

Failed

Plain English: The amendment changes how much money a school district can get from grants to help with mental health services, setting a new maximum amount based on the number of students.

Adds language after 'section' to specify that the grant limit applies each year.
Changes the grant funding cap to $30,000 plus an additional amount calculated by multiplying $44.35 by the district's average daily membership from the previous school year.

The amendment text does not explain how the new calculation will be implemented or what happens if a district exceeds the cap.
It is unclear how this change affects existing provisions in the bill and whether it aligns with overall funding goals for mental health services.

HB0034H2002

2nd reading • Representative Crago

Adopted

Plain English: The amendment adds requirements for schools to consult and work together with various groups when applying for grants to provide mental health services.

School districts must include consultation and collaboration with students, parents, teachers, principals, district administration, school board members, the local community, and mental health professionals and providers in their grant application process.

The amendment does not specify how these consultations will be conducted or what specific outcomes are expected from them.

HB0034H2003

2nd reading • Representative Styvar

Failed

Plain English: The amendment changes references from 'education' to 'health' in the bill text, and adds a reference to the department of health.

Replaces all instances of 'education' with 'health'.
Adds an insertion after 'education' on page 4, line 3, specifying 'and the department of health'.

The amendment's text does not provide context for how these changes will affect the overall bill or its implementation.

HB0034H3001

3rd reading • Representative Rodriguez-Williams

Divided

Plain English: The amendment adds restrictions on how grant money for mental health services in schools can be spent, prohibiting it from being used to support certain medical procedures or activities related to abortion.

Adds a new section (c) that lists specific activities the grant funds cannot pay for, including gender transitioning treatments and sex-change operations for minors.
Prohibits recommending or providing transportation for elective abortions, as well as offering financial assistance towards these services.
Includes restrictions on creating content or software that facilitates access to elective abortions.

The amendment text does not specify how the existing sections will be renumbered after this addition.

HB0034H3001.01

3rd reading • Representative Rodriguez-Williams

Corrected, Adopted

Plain English: The amendment adds restrictions on how grant money for mental health services in schools can be used, specifically prohibiting it from being spent on certain medical procedures and treatments.

Adds a new section (c) that lists activities the grant funds cannot pay for, such as puberty blockers or hormone therapy related to gender transitioning, sex-change operations, elective abortions, and assisted suicide.

The amendment does not specify how these restrictions will be enforced or what alternatives might be available if a student needs one of the prohibited services.

HB0034H3001.02

3rd reading • Representative Rodriguez-Williams

Corrected, Failed

Plain English: The amendment adds new restrictions on providing information and assistance related to elective abortions.

Adds a list of prohibited actions, including giving instructions about self-administered or self-managed abortions over the phone, internet, or other communication methods.
Includes creating or maintaining websites that assist in obtaining elective abortions.
Prohibits distributing applications or software intended to help individuals obtain elective abortions.
Bans offering financial support with knowledge it will be used for elective abortion costs.

The amendment text does not specify penalties for violating these restrictions.

HB0034H3002

3rd reading • Representative Styvar

Withdrawn

Plain English: The amendment proposes to remove a specific line from the bill that relates to school finance and mental health services.

Removes line 8 on page 1 of the original bill.

It is unclear what content was in line 8, so the exact impact of removing it cannot be fully explained without that information.

Bill History

2023-02-24 Senate
S:Died in Committee Returned Bill Pursuant to SR 5-4
2023-02-24 Senate
S No report prior to CoW Cutoff
2023-02-23 Senate
S04 - Education:Do Pass Failed 2-3-0-0-0
2023-02-13 Senate
S Introduced and Referred to S04 - Education
2023-01-30 Senate
S Received for Introduction
2023-01-27 House
H 3rd Reading:Passed 35-26-1-0-0
2023-01-26 House
H 3rd Reading:Laid Back
2023-01-25 House
H 2nd Reading:Passed
2023-01-24 House
H COW:Passed
2023-01-20 House
H Placed on General File
2023-01-20 House
H02 - Appropriations:Recommend Do Pass 7-0-0-0-0
2023-01-19 House
:Rerefer to H02 - Appropriations
2023-01-19 House
H04 - Education:Recommend Do Pass 8-1-0-0-0
2023-01-13 House
H Introduced and Referred to H04 - Education
2023-01-06 House
H Received for Introduction
2022-12-09 LSO
Bill Number Assigned

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

23LSO-0249
2023
STATE OF WYOMING
23LSO-0249
ENGROSSED
3.0

HOUSE BILL NO. HB0034

School finance-mental health services.

Sponsored by: Joint Education Interim Committee

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to school finance; creating a program for school districts to apply for competitive grants to assist in providing mental health services to K-12 public education students for two (2) years; providing an appropriation; requiring reporting; and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section 1
.

(a)

For school year 2023
‑
2024 and school year 2024
‑
2025, to augment amounts within the education resource block grant model available to districts to address the mental health needs of the K
‑
12 student population, a school district may apply to the state department of education for a grant under this section. Amounts awarded under this section shall be in addition to and shall not be considered in determining the school foundation program amount under the education resource block grant model pursuant to W.S. 21
‑
13
‑
309.

(b)

A grant awarded under this section shall not exceed one hundred twenty thousand dollars ($120,000.00) per year. Application for a grant under this section shall be on a form and in a manner specified by rule of the department, shall be filed with the department on or before June 30 to secure a grant during the immediately succeeding school year, and shall at a minimum include:

(i)

A proposal documenting the need for additional funds to service the mental health needs of the students enrolled in the district which shall include consultation and collaboration with students, parents, teachers, principals, district administration, school board of trustee members, the local community and mental health professionals and providers;

(ii)

The purpose, plan, services or programs to be offered, and timeline for expenditure of grant amounts;

(iii)

Other necessary information required by the department.

(c)

Amounts awarded under this section shall not be expended on the following:

(i)

To recommend, refer or prescribe puberty blockers or hormone therapy to a minor for the purpose of gender transitioning;

(ii)

To recommend or provide a referral for a sex
‑
change operation on a minor;

(iii)

To recommend, or aid or abet an elective abortion;

(iv)

To recommend, or aid or abet assisted suicide.

(d)

Not later than August 15 of the applicable school year and following review of applications submitted under this section, the department shall notify applicant districts of its decision to award or deny a grant application and shall provide each applicant district a written statement of the reasons for approving or denying the application. If an application is approved, the department shall award the grant from amounts made available by legislative appropriation from the public school foundation program account for purposes of this section.

(e)

Each district receiving a grant under this section shall report to the department on the expenditure of amounts awarded under this section, the number of students that received services as a result of the grant and the impact of the services or programs offered. Each applicant shall provide other information as required by rule of the department.

(f)

The department of education shall promulgate rules necessary to carry out this section.

Section 2.

Not later than August 1, 2024, and again on August 1, 2025, the department of education shall provide to the joint education interim committee findings and recommendations on the programs and services offered as a result of the grant program created by section 1 of this act and shall include any recommendations for refinement of components within the education resource block grant model resourcing services or programs supporting the mental health of K
‑
12 public education students.

Section 3
.

There is appropriated eleven million five hundred twenty thousand dollars ($11,520,000.00) from the public school foundation program account to the department of education for the grant program established by section 1 of this act. This appropriation shall be for the period beginning July 1, 2023 and ending June 30, 2025. This appropriation shall not be transferred or expended for any other purpose and any unexpended, unobligated funds remaining from this appropriation shall revert as provided by law on June 30, 2025. It is the intent of the legislature that this appropriation not be included in the standard budget for the department of education for the immediately succeeding fiscal biennium.

Section 4.

This act is effective immediately upon completion of all acts necessary for a bill to become law as provided by Article 4, Section 8 of the Wyoming Constitution.

(END)

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HB0034