BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES FOR STUDENTS.

Printer-friendly: Click to view
View NCGA Bill Details2021
House Bill 882 (Public) Filed Tuesday, May 4, 2021
AN ACT TO PERMIT STUDENTS TO RECEIVE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES IN PUBLIC SCHOOL UNITS.
Intro. by Hawkins.

Status: Ref to the Com on Health, if favorable, Education - K-12, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House (House action) (May 5 2021)
H 882

Bill Summaries:

  • Summary date: May 7 2021 - View Summary

    Part I.

    Enacts GS 115C-375.10, requiring that public school units permit behavioral health care providers, defined to exclude employees of the public school or the Department of Public Instruction, to provide behavioral health services to student on school property during the instructional day upon request of the student's parent or guardian, subject to seven restrictions and requirements. Defines behavioral health service to mean adaptive behavior treatment, or research-based behavioral health treatment under the Medicaid State Plan, provided by a behavioral health provider. Requirements include, among others, (1) liability insurance coverage in the amount of $1 million per occurrence and $1 million aggregate per occurrence with provision of a certificate of insurance naming the public school unit as the policy holder; and (2) provision of behavioral health services in a manner that does not prevent classroom instruction. Defines behavior health treatment plan. Prohibits a public school unit from exclusively contracting with a behavioral health provider or otherwise prohibiting a parent or guardian from choosing the preferred provider for the student.

    Amends the following statutes and session law to require local boards of education, public school units, charter schools, regional schools, laboratory schools, and renewal schools comply with new GS 115C-375.10: GS 115C-47; GS 115C-12; GS 115C-218.75; GS 115C-238.66; GS 116-239.8; and Section 6 of SL 2018-32.

    Applies beginning with the 2021-22 school year.

    Part II.

    Amends GS 58-3-192 to prohibit health benefit plans from denying coverage for autism spectrum disorder, as required by the statute, on the basis that treatment is provided in a school or other educational setting. Applies to health benefit plan contracts issued on or after October 1, 2021.