HB 355

Public school students in grades six through 12; annual mental health screening. Requires, no later than September 1, 2027, the Board of Education, in consultation with the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services and any other stakeholder that the Board deems appropriate, to (i) develop, identify, or procure and make available to each school board at no cost an evidence-based tool or evidence-based tools for the mental health screening of each public school student in grades six through 12 and (ii) develop, adopt, distribute to each school board, and post publicly and conspicuously on its website guidance and model procedures for annual mental health screenings for each such student, with certain content enumerated in the bill. The bill requires, beginning with the 2028-2029 school year, each school board to ensure that each student in grades six through 12 in the local school division is screened at least annually using such screening tool, unless the student's parents opt the student out of such screening.