AB 2471: Pupil health: School-Based Pupil Support Services Program Act.

Existing law, the Healthy Start Support Services for Children Act, requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to award grants to local educational agencies or consortia to fund programs in qualifying schools that provide support services, which include case-managed health, mental health, social, and academic support services, to eligible pupils and their families.

This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation that would increase inschool in-school support services to pupils in order to break down barriers to academic success.

The bill would enact the School-Based Pupil Support Services Program Act, under which grants would be awarded by the State Department of Education to qualifying schools, as defined., defined. The bill would specify that recipient qualifying schools would provide $1 of matching funds for each $4 of grant funds received. The bill would authorize 2 types of grants: planning grants and operational grants. The bill would specify that planning grants would be used by qualifying schools for planning and coordination activities relating to specified support services. The bill would specify that operational grants would be used by qualifying schools for, among other purposes, increasing the presence of school health professionals, as defined, in schools and providing programs that prevent and reduce substance abuse among pupils.

The bill would specify that the source of the state funding for the grants awarded under the program would be an appropriation from the Youth Education, Prevention, Early Intervention and Treatment Account established pursuant to the Control, Regulate and Tax Adult Use of Marijuana Act (Proposition 64, as approved by the voters at the November 8, 2016, statewide general election). The appropriation would be made to the State Department of Health Care Services, for transfer to the State Department of Education, in accordance with a determination that expenditure of these funds for purposes of this bill would be authorized, as specified. The bill would place an unspecified limit on the amount and duration of the grants.

The bill would require each recipient of a grant under the program to annually report specified data to the State Department of Education.