HB0180

Establishes a K-12 mental health program administered by the Department of Education to screen, stabilize, and refer students with mental health needs to appropriate services.

• Creates a mental health program for K-12 public school students focused on wellness and resiliency, with the purpose of identifying students with mental health challenges, stabilizing them, and referring them to services. Program funding is available to all Wyoming public school districts on an optional basis. (W.S. 21-13-338(a))
• Requires participating school districts to report to the Department of Education on program expenditures, number of students served, and impact of services provided. (W.S. 21-13-338(b))
• Requires schools to notify parents or guardians when their child is identified as needing services under the program, pursuant to parental notification requirements. (W.S. 21-13-338(c), W.S. 21-3-135)
• Reappropriates up to five million dollars from the public school foundation program account to the Department of Education for school year 2025-2026 to implement the mental health program and augment education resource block grant funding. (Sec. 2(a))
• Appropriates an additional eight hundred five thousand dollars from the public school foundation program account to the Department of Education for school year 2025-2026 to implement the mental health program. (Sec. 2(b))
• Directs the Department of Education to request funding in its next budget submission that doubles the mental health program funding provided in the current appropriation. (Sec. 2(c))
• Authorizes creation of community project manager positions in each participating district (up to $100,000 per district with 500+ students, or $25,000 for districts with fewer than 500 students) and community support coordinator positions (up to $35,000 per district). (Sec. 2(d))
• Authorizes two full-time positions in the Department of Education for implementing and administering the mental health program, with salaries and benefits not to exceed $225,000 per fiscal year. (Sec. 2(e))