HB 24: School Behavioral Health Support Act; enact

Georgia currently has no statewide grant program aimed specifically at connecting community mental health providers to K-12 schools. House Bill 24, called the School Behavioral Health Support Act, would add a new section to Georgia law (O.C.G.A. § 37-1-30) directing the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities to set up a school-linked behavioral health grant program. The program would fund community service boards, community mental health centers, licensed mental health providers, and Medicaid providers who treat children and families, so they can identify and treat students with mental health or substance use disorder needs. Grant money could pay for treatment, telehealth equipment, transportation for students outside school hours, staff training, and family support navigating health, social service, or juvenile justice systems. Grantees would have to bill other insurance sources first (not local school systems) and serve students regardless of ability to pay. The program depends on the legislature actually appropriating funding.

• Creates a new school-linked behavioral health grant program inside the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities.
• Limits eligible grant recipients to community service boards, community mental health centers, licensed mental health providers, and certain Medicaid providers.
• Allows grant money to pay for student diagnosis, treatment, telehealth services, family support, transportation, and school staff training.
• Requires grantees to seek other insurance or reimbursement first, excluding local school systems, and to serve students regardless of ability to pay.
• Requires grantees to collect and report data to the department so the program's effectiveness can be measured.
• Makes the entire program contingent on the state actually appropriating funding for it.

K-12 public school students with mental health or substance use disorder needs and their families, community mental health providers and community service boards who could apply for grants, Medicaid providers treating children, and the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, which would run the program.

If funded, the bill could bring more mental health screening, treatment, and telehealth services directly into schools, potentially helping students get care they might otherwise lack access to, while requiring providers to bill insurance first and still serve uninsured students at no cost.

• Section 1 names the bill the 'School Behavioral Health Support Act.'
• Section 2 adds new Code section 37-1-30, defining 'mental health or substance use disorder' as mental illness or addictive disease.
• Subsection (b) directs the department to create the grant program, but only 'subject to available appropriations or other funding.'
• Subsection (c) lists four categories of eligible grant applicants, including community service boards and Medicaid providers.
• Subsection (d) lists allowable uses of grant funds, including telehealth equipment, transportation, and staff training.
• Subsection (e) requires grantees to pursue third-party reimbursement first (excluding local school systems) and to serve students regardless of coverage or ability to pay.
• Subsection (f) requires grantees to collect and report data to the department to evaluate the program's effectiveness.
• Section 3 repeals conflicting laws.

1. 2025-02-11House Withdrawn Bill/Res Consideration (House)
2. 2025-01-15House Second Readers (House)
3. 2025-01-14House First Readers (House)
4. 2025-01-13House Hopper (House)

• Sandra Scott (D, HD-076)Primary sponsor
• Kim Schofield (D, HD-063)
• Viola Davis (D, HD-087)

• school mental health
• student behavioral health
• substance use treatment
• education funding
• Medicaid providers