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REFERENCE TITLE: grants; school counselors; social workers |
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State of Arizona House of Representatives Fifty-fifth Legislature Second Regular Session 2022
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HB 2667 |
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Introduced by Representatives Quiñonez: Abraham, Andrade, Blackwater-Nygren, Bolding, Butler, Cano, Dalessandro, DeGrazia, Fernandez B, Hernandez A, Hernandez M, Jermaine, Liguori, Longdon, Mathis, Meza, Pawlik, Powers Hannley, Schwiebert, Sierra, Solorio
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AN ACT
amending Title 15, chapter 1, article 1, Arizona Revised Statutes, by adding section 15-120.02; amending Title 15, chapter 2, article 2, Arizona Revised Statutes, by adding section 15-240; appropriating monies; relating to school mental health professionals.
(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:
Section 1. Title 15, chapter 1, article 1, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 15-120.02, to read:
15-120.02. School counselor or school social worker ratio; requirements; definitions
A. Except as provided in subsection B of this section, beginning in the 2027-2028 school year, if sufficient monies are appropriated for this purpose, Each school district and charter school shall hire at least one school counselor or school social worker for every five hundred fifty students who are enrolled in the school district or charter school.
B. If a school district or charter school has fewer than five hundred fifty students enrolled, the school district or charter school shall either:
1. hire one school counselor or school social worker, who may be employed on a part-time basis.
2. Enter into an intergovernmental agreement with one or more other school districts or charter schools to contract for school counselor or school social worker services.
C. For the purposes of this section:
1. "School counselor" has the same meaning prescribed in section 15-154.
2. "School social worker" has the same meaning prescribed in section 15-154.
Sec. 2. Title 15, chapter 2, article 2, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 15-240, to read:
15-240. School counseling or school social work plan grant fund; application; selection criteria; advisory committee; definition
A. The school counseling or school social work plan grant fund is established consisting of legislative appropriations. The department of education shall administer the fund. The department shall distribute monies in the fund to schools, school districts and charter schools to assist with the costs of implementing school counseling or school social work plans as provided in this section. Monies in the fund are subject to legislative appropriation.
B. The department of education shall establish application and selection procedures to distribute grants from the fund.
C. Schools, school districts and charter schools may apply to the department of education for a grant from the fund. Each application shall include all of the following:
1. A letter of commitment to adopt a comprehensive school counseling or school social work plan that defines the relationship of the school counselor or school social worker to local community resources.
2. A DESCRIPTION of the Methods for evaluating the effectiveness of the school counseling or school social work plan.
3. Policies on confidentiality under the school counseling or school social work plan.
4. Policies on notifying and providing services to parents and other family members of students.
5. A description of the school's or school district's Referral procedures to the appropriate community entities and state agencies.
6. a Description of the Scope of the services that the school or school district will provide.
D. Schools, school districts and charter schools that have entered into an intergovernmental agreement for school counseling or school social work services pursuant to section 15-120.02, subsection B, paragraph 2 may jointly apply pursuant to subsection C of this section.
E. The superintendent of public instruction may appoint a school counseling or school social work plan grant fund advisory committee within the department of education to advise the department and the superintendent on adopting selection criteria for awarding grants from the fund. The advisory committee shall consist of one or more of the following:
1. School Counselors.
2. School social workers.
3. School Administrators.
4. School Principals.
5. Teachers.
6. Parents of students who are enrolled in school districts or charter schools.
7. Community mental health professionals.
F. The department of education, in cooperation with the superintendent of public instruction, may adopt policies to carry out the purposes of this section.
G. For the purposes of this section, "school counseling or school social work plan" means a COUNSELING or social work plan in a school district or charter school that is managed by one or more school counselors or school social workers as defined in section 15-154.
Sec. 3. Appropriations; school counseling or school social work plan grant fund
The following sums are appropriated from the state general fund in each of the following fiscal years to the school counseling or school social work plan grant fund established by section 15-240, Arizona Revised Statutes, as added by this act, and are appropriated from the school counseling or school social work plan grant fund to the department of education:
1. $19,000,000 in fiscal year 2022-2023.
2. $38,000,000 in fiscal year 2023-2024.
3. $57,000,000 in fiscal year 2024-2025.
4. $76,000,000 in fiscal year 2025-2026.
5. $95,000,000 in fiscal year 2026-2027.