SB 118: School-Based Health and Education Partnership Program.

Existing law requires the State Department of Public Health, in cooperation with the State Department of Education, to establish a Public School Health Center Support Program to assist health centers in schools and school districts. Existing law establishes a grant program within the Public School Health Center Support Program to provide technical assistance, assistance and funding for the expansion, renovation, and retrofitting of existing school health centers and the development of new school health centers. These provisions also provide funding for sustainability grants in amounts between $25,000 and $125,000. Existing law authorizes school health centers to provide physical, mental, and oral health assessments, screenings, and services.

This bill would rename the program the School-Based Health and Education Partnership Program. The bill would instead provide funding for the expansion and renovation of existing school health centers. The bill would change the amount of the sustainability grants that are available pursuant to the program to between $50,000 and $100,000, but would make those grants available on a one-time basis and would revise the purposes for which they may be used. The bill would also authorize population health grants in amounts between $50,000 and $125,000 for a funding period of up to 3 years, as specified. The bill would authorize school health centers to provide alcohol and substance abuse assessments, screening, and services.