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Committee backs bill to require schools to offer on-site mental-health assessments by licensed providers
Summary
HB 486 would require public schools to offer on-site mental-health assessments to certain students by licensed providers; the committee adopted an amendment to define credentialing and directed the bill to appropriations because of potential Medicaid/state costs.
Representative Fisher offered House Bill 486 to require public schools to offer mental-health assessments to certain students; an amendment clarified that assessments be provided by state-licensed, credentialed behavioral-health providers and encouraged on-site assessments at schools.
Members discussed how the services would be delivered and whether costs would fall to school districts or to Medicaid and other state-funded providers. Representative Fisher said the intent is to use existing licensed providers who bill Medicaid or insurance where applicable and human-service districts when students have no coverage; she said the goal was to reduce burdens on districts by tapping existing provider networks.
Committee members asked that the bill be sent to Appropriations for a fiscal evaluation after the amendment placed some implementation responsibility on the Louisiana Department of Health to publish lists of licensed providers; Representative Fryberg moved that the committee report the bill and recommend referral to Appropriations.
The committee adopted the amendment and reported HB 486 with a recommendation that it be re-referred to Appropriations for a fiscal review and potential funding considerations.
