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Student‑led mental‑health pilot bill wins broad testimony; lawmakers ask about coordination and rural access
Summary
Rep. Melissa Romano’s HB385 would create two‑year grants for student‑led, locally determined school mental‑health pilots, with required evaluation. A wide range of students, educators, medical professionals and advocates testified in support; lawmakers raised questions about funding sources, coordination with existing programs, and grant sizing for small/rural schools.
Representative Melissa Romano told the committee House Bill 385 establishes a school mental‑health pilot program that funds student‑led, locally determined initiatives and requires applicants to demonstrate need and include evaluation measures. Romano said the bill grew from student work in the Democracy Project and emphasizes local solutions rather than a one‑size‑fits‑all approach.
The hearing drew extensive proponent testimony from educators, health professionals and many students. Siobhan Hathorn, a Helena educator and school board chair, cited Montana’s high youth suicide rate and urged larger fiscal support; student speakers described personal experiences and the value of peer programs. Andrea Savage, mental‑health coordinator for Great Falls Public Schools, detailed a peer‑mentoring program that trains students in QPR and other evidence‑based practices and said the district has seen "fewer students presenting to the ER for active suicidal ideation" and described reductions in some local indicators tied to screening and peer mentoring.
Medical and advocacy groups—including the Montana chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Montana Medical Association—supported HB385, describing peer and prevention programs with an evidence base and urging a proactive, upstream approach. The coalition Coalition of Advocates for Montana's Public Schools and labor groups urged sustained funding and noted barriers such as limited counseling capacity in smaller districts.
Lawmakers asked technical questions about how HB385 would interact with prior statewide screening funds, whether grant money could be used for existing crisis teams (CSCT), and how the program would ensure equitable rural access. Romano said she has drafted an amendment to lower minimum grant sizes and clarify caps (she described a lower minimum of $5,000 and a cap equal to the lesser of $50,000 or $25 per enrolled student in the amendment language) so that very small schools could participate. No vote was taken.
