---
title: HB 24. School Behavioral Health Support Act; enact
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb24
cite_as: HB 24, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb24
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb24.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb24/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69304
date: 2025-02-11
status: introduced
corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13
license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
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omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 189
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb24.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 24
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2025-01-13
last_action: House Withdrawn Bill/Res Consideration
sponsors:
- Sandra Scott
- Kim Schofield
- Viola Davis
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB24/2025
upstream_id: 1916818
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
- school mental health
- student behavioral health
- substance use treatment
- education funding
- Medicaid providers
---
# HB 24. School Behavioral Health Support Act; enact
## Text
House Bill 24
By: Representatives Scott of the 76th, Schofield of the 63rd, and Davis of the 87th
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Article 2 of Chapter 1 of Title 37 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated,
relating to the powers and duties of the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental
Disabilities regarding the governing and regulation of mental health, so as to establish a
school-linked behavioral health grant program; to provide a definition; to provide criteria for
determining eligible applicants; to provide for allowable activities and related expenses; to
provide for data collection and outcome measurement; to provide for related matters; to
provide for a short title; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
This Act shall be known and may be cited as the "School Behavioral Health Support Act."
SECTION 2.
Article 2 of Chapter 1 of Title 37 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the
powers and duties of the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities
regarding the governing and regulation of mental health, is amended by adding a new Code
section to read as follows:
"37-1-30.
(a) As used in this Code section, the term 'mental health or substance use disorder' means
a mental illness or addictive disease.
(b) Subject to available appropriations or other funding, the department shall establish a
school-linked behavioral health grant program to provide early identification of and
intervention for students with mental health or substance use disorder needs and to build
the capacity of K-12 schools to support students with mental health or substance use
disorder needs in the classroom.
(c) An eligible applicant for a school-linked behavioral health grant is an entity or provider
that is:
(1) A community service board;
(2) A community mental health center;
(3) A licensed healthcare provider who primarily provides treatment or diagnosis of
mental health or substance use disorders; and
(4) A Medicaid provider that employs licensed healthcare providers who provide
treatment or diagnosis of mental health or substance use disorders to children and
families.
(d) Allowable grant activities and related expenses may include but shall not be limited
to:
(1) Identifying and diagnosing mental health or substance use disorders of students;
(2) Delivering mental health or substance use disorder treatment and services to students
and their families, including via telehealth;
(3) Supporting families in meeting their children's needs, including navigating
healthcare, social services, and the juvenile justice system;
(4) Providing transportation for students receiving school-linked behavioral health
services when school is not in session;
(5) Building the capacity of schools to meet the needs of students with mental health or
substance use disorder concerns, including school staff development activities for
licensed and nonlicensed staff; and
(6) Equipment purchases, connection charges, on-site coordination, set-up fees, and site
fees associated with delivering school-linked behavioral health services via telehealth.
(e) Grantees shall obtain all available third-party reimbursement sources as a condition of
receiving a school-linked behavioral health grant. For purposes of this grant program, a
third-party reimbursement source excludes a local school system. Grantees shall serve
students regardless of health coverage status or ability to pay.
(f) Grantees shall collect and provide data to the department for the purpose of evaluating
the effectiveness of the school-linked behavioral health grant program."
SECTION 3.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.
## Summaries written by Georgia Commons
The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the bill. Quote the text, not the summary.
House Bill 24 would create a state grant program to place mental health and substance use treatment providers in K-12 schools, funded if the legislature sets aside money for it.
### Plain-language summary
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. ยง 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.
### What it does
- 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.
### Who it affects
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.
### Why it matters
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.
### Key provisions
- 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.
## Status
- Status: Introduced (2025-01-13)
- Last action: House Withdrawn Bill/Res Consideration (2025-02-11)
- Sponsors: Sandra Scott, Kim Schofield, Viola Davis
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69304
> The history, votes, and amendments (189 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb24.md?full=1