HB 75 – School Mental Health Screening Study
Primary Sponsors: Rep. John Torbett (R-Gaston), Rep. David Lewis (R-Harnett), Rep. Josh Dobson (R-Avery), Rep. John Bell (R-Wayne)
This bill would direct the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) to study developing a mental health screening process for children in NC public schools. This was recommended by the House Select Committee on School Safety.
The study would examine at least the following issues:
- Should the state require a mental health screen to identify children at risk of harming themselves or others?
- Which health professionals should conduct the screening?
- What behaviors or mental health diagnoses should the screen try to identify?
- Screening format
- Should the screen be uniform throughout the State or should the state create guidelines for local school units?
- Create a policy of referring children identified as at risk to the appropriate provider type.
- Create a policy regulating the storage, access, and confidentiality of the screening.
- Determination of the optimal age to start the screening and if/how often the screening should continue.
- Can parents opt out of the screening?
- Should individuals who preform mental health screenings be immune from suit for their actions and omissions in performing those screens?
The Departments would be required to report their findings by February 15, 2020.
Bill Movement
This bill was filed on February 13, 2019.
This bill was referred to the House Education, K-12 Committee. If it is found favorable there, it will move to the House Rules Committee.
This bill was withdrawn from House Education K-12 Committee and re-referred to the House Health Committee on February 21, 2019.
This bill passed the House Health Committee on February 26, 2019.
This bill passed the House Rules Committee on March 4, 2019.
This bill will now move to the House floor.