Committee advances mental health intervention teams bill for schools amid praise and concerns

The Committee on House Health and Human Services voted to pass House Bill 2236, which would codify the Mental Health Intervention Team (MHIT) program and expand access to on-site behavioral health services in schools.

Representative Beeler moved that the committee "pass out" House Bill 2236 favorably; Representative Steens seconded, and the committee approved the motion by voice vote. Several members spoke in favor and described program successes and growth; one member said she intended to vote no on policy grounds even while supporting mental-health services.

Representative Turner said she supports mental health but objected to the bill’s placement in the health committee: "I support mental health, but I just think this program is misplaced," Turner said, arguing the program might be better considered in an education context because it interacts with school staffing and educational policy. Turner also expressed concern that the program draws on school resources in terms of office space and staff participation.

Other members offered personal and operational endorsements. Representative Ruiz described the bill’s history and said the program grew from a pilot to a broader effort with strong anecdotes of student benefit: "I've heard many more stories of how it has really helped kids." Representative Rivas, speaking of experience at her federally qualified health center, said counselors reported the program "has been a huge hit. It's getting results," noting students lose less class time and parents are less often required to transport students to off-site care.

Committee staff and a witness clarified that procurement and some funding details that members asked about are not written into the bill text but were addressed in the appropriations process. Carly explained that tele-mental-health procurement referenced in earlier discussion became an RFP issued through the appropriations process rather than a statutory earmark; Hazel Hill (identified in the transcript) confirmed the funding decision was made in appropriations and is not contained in the bill.

Representative Buehler added that the proviso in appropriations "would not have reduced any of the funding that was available" for the MHIT program; the proviso instructed staff to go out for bids for tele-mental-health services rather than awarding to a single provider. Multiple members described student outcomes, reduced dropout risk, and other performance indicators in support of codifying the program.

Representative Turner said she would not support placing the statutory program in health committee jurisdiction but acknowledged the importance of mental-health services. Several other representatives — including Steams, Bergquist, Howell and others — voiced support and said they had seen positive results in public and private schools. The committee approved the bill by voice vote and the chair announced the motion passed.

The transcript shows the committee flagged implementation and funding questions for follow-up with appropriators and the implementing agencies; the bill as advanced does not contain the specific procurement language discussed in appropriations.