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House passes bill to make mental‑health assessments available to students with parental consent
Summary
The Louisiana House on May 19 approved a bill requiring public schools to make licensed mental‑health assessments available to students with parental consent, directing the Department of Health to provide lists of credentialed providers and adopting reporting and annual‑consent amendments.
The Louisiana House on Monday passed House Bill 486, requiring public schools to make mental‑health assessments available to students with a parent or guardian’s written consent and directing the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) to provide lists of credentialed providers that schools can share with families.
Supporters said the change is intended to help identify behavioral and mental‑health needs earlier so students can receive timely services. Opponents raised concerns about parental consent, confidentiality and the potential for overreferral.
Under the bill, schools must make licensed behavioral‑health providers — for example, licensed clinical social workers, licensed professional counselors,…
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