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Committee advances bill letting school counselors refer students to licensed mental-health providers amid parental-consent debate
Summary
A-1657 would allow school-based mental-health professionals to refer or facilitate referrals to licensed outside providers; sponsors say it smooths handoffs, while opponents and members raised concerns about how the measure interacts with existing minor-consent laws and parental notification.
The Assembly Education Committee advanced A-1657 after a lengthy exchange over parental notification and the reach of student-consent laws. The bill would permit student-assistance coordinators, school counselors, school psychologists and other school mental-health professionals to refer or facilitate referrals of students to licensed mental-health professionals outside the school.
Sponsor testimony said the bill's aim is to "make it seamless" for school professionals to hand off students to outside providers so families can continue care. "This just makes it seamless and the hand off to happen," the sponsor told the committee, and committee amendments remove language limiting referrals to "private" providers, clarifying referrals may be to licensed practitioners broadly.
Opponents and public commenters raised questions about parental consent and possible conflicts with current law. Michael Curry of Wake Up New Jersey asked, "Who is paying for this?" and warned the committee about cases elsewhere where schools allegedly concealed gender-transition care from parents. Assemblywoman (speaker 9) said the bill's language could conflict with an existing statute that allows certain minors to receive care without notification and asked why parents might be kept out of the loop; the sponsor responded that the bill is referral-only and that any provision of services would still follow current consent rules.
After discussion the committee voted to amend and release A-1657. Roll-call comments recorded 'No' votes from Assemblywoman Fantasia and Assemblyman Azzaridi; several members including Assemblywoman Matsakoudis, Assemblyman Schnall, Assemblywoman Morales, Assemblywoman Begoli, Assemblywoman Swain, Assemblyman Stanley and Chairwoman Lampitt voiced support and the chair announced the bill "moves on."
