---
title: HB 26. School Behavioral Mental Health Support Act; enact
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb26
cite_as: HB 26, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb26
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb26.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb26/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69306
date: 2025-01-15
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: 129
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb26.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 26
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2025-01-13
last_action: House Second Readers
sponsors:
- Sandra Scott
- Kim Schofield
- Viola Davis
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB26/2025
upstream_id: 1916681
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
- school mental health
- student behavioral health
- substance use treatment
- education funding
- telehealth
---
# HB 26. School Behavioral Mental Health Support Act; enact
## Text
House Bill 26
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 Mental 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 26 would create a state grant program letting community mental health providers deliver mental health and substance abuse services directly to K-12 students in Georgia schools.
### Plain-language summary
Georgia schools currently have no dedicated state grant program to connect students with outside mental health and substance use disorder providers. House Bill 26, called the School Behavioral Mental Health Support Act, would direct the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities to set up a school-linked behavioral health grant program, subject to the legislature actually funding it.
Eligible grant recipients would include community service boards, community mental health centers, licensed healthcare providers who treat mental health or substance use disorders, and Medicaid providers employing such licensed staff. Grant money could pay for identifying and treating student mental health needs, telehealth equipment and services, transportation for students outside school hours, family support navigating healthcare and juvenile justice systems, and staff training. Grantees would have to bill other insurance sources first (not the school itself) but must still serve students regardless of insurance status or ability to pay, and must report outcome data back to the department.
### What it does
- Creates a new school-linked behavioral health grant program inside the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, dependent on available state funding.
- Defines 'mental health or substance use disorder' as a mental illness or addictive disease for purposes of the program.
- Limits eligible grant applicants to community service boards, community mental health centers, licensed mental health providers, and qualifying Medicaid providers.
- Lists allowable uses of grant money, including diagnosis, telehealth treatment, family support services, off-hours student transportation, and school staff training.
- Requires grantees to seek other available insurance or third-party payment first, but still serve all students regardless of coverage or ability to pay.
- Requires grantees to collect and report data to the department so the program's effectiveness can be measured.
### Who it affects
K-12 public school students with mental health or substance use disorder needs and their families, community service boards, community mental health centers, licensed mental health and substance use treatment providers, Medicaid providers serving children, and the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, which would run the program.
### Why it matters
If funded, the bill could bring mental health screening, treatment, telehealth services, and family support directly into or alongside schools for students who need it, regardless of their family's ability to pay, potentially reducing gaps between school needs and outside mental health care access.
### Key provisions
- Section 1 names the bill the 'School Behavioral Mental 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.
- Section 2(b) makes the grant program subject to available appropriations, meaning it only operates if the legislature funds it.
- Section 2(c) limits eligible applicants to four categories of mental health and substance use treatment entities and providers.
- Section 2(d) lists six categories of allowable grant expenses, from diagnosis and treatment to telehealth equipment and staff training.
- Section 2(e) requires grantees to pursue other reimbursement sources first, excludes local school systems as a reimbursement source, and requires service regardless of ability to pay.
- Section 2(f) requires grantees to collect and submit data to the department to evaluate the program's effectiveness.
- Section 3 repeals any conflicting laws.
## Status
- Status: Introduced (2025-01-13)
- Last action: House Second Readers (2025-01-15)
- Sponsors: Sandra Scott, Kim Schofield, Viola Davis
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69306
> The history, votes, and amendments (129 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb26.md?full=1