MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2024 Regular Session
To: Public Health and Welfare; Universities and Colleges
By: Senator(s) Boyd, Parker
AN ACT TO ESTABLISH THE MISSISSIPPI K-12 AND POSTSECONDARY MENTAL HEALTH TASK FORCE DRAWING ON AVAILABLE DATA TO DETERMINE CHALLENGES IN MISSISSIPPI AS IT RELATES TO THE MENTAL HEALTH OF STUDENTS RANGING FROM K-12 THROUGH THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY SYSTEMS, ASSESS THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE RESOURCES CURRENTLY AVAILABLE TO YOUTH SUFFERING FROM DEPRESSION, TRAUMA AND SUICIDAL IDEATION, AND DETERMINE WHERE GAPS EXIST IN SERVICE DELIVERY AND TREATMENT; TO PROVIDE FOR THE MEMBERSHIP OF THE TASK FORCE; TO REQUIRE THE TASK FORCE TO REVIEW AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE LEGISLATURE REGARDING AVAILABLE RESOURCES AND GAPS IN RESOURCES TO ADDRESS THIS CRISIS; TO PROVIDE FOR THE GOALS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE TASK FORCE; TO REQUIRE THE TASK FORCE TO DEVELOP AND REPORT ITS FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PROPOSED LEGISLATION TO THE LEGISLATURE ON OR BEFORE OCTOBER 1, 2024; TO RECONSTITUTE THE EARLY INTERVENTION TASK FORCE WITH A GOAL TO COLLABORATE WITH THE STATE AGENCY COORDINATING PART C OF IDEA TO DESIGN A NEW SERVICE DELIVERY MODEL AND MAKE CHANGES TO THE EARLY INTERVENTION PROGRAM; TO SET THE TASK FORCE'S DUTIES; TO REQUIRE THE TASK FORCE TO PREPARE A FINAL REPORT TO THE LEGISLATURE; TO REQUIRE THE STATE AGENCY COORDINATING PART C OF IDEA TO PREPARE AND DELIVER A REPORT THAT PROVIDES FOR POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS; TO DISSOLVE THE TASK FORCE UPON PRESENTATION OF THE REPORT; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:
SECTION 1. (1) There is hereby established the "Mississippi K-12 and Postsecondary Mental Health Task Force," created to address growing concerns related to student mental health. The goal of the task force shall include, but not be limited to, drawing on available data to determine challenges in Mississippi as it relates to the mental health of students ranging from K-12 through the community college and university systems; assessing public and private resources currently available to students who need help managing mental health issues; assessing training and procedures in place for teachers, school district personnel and community college and university personnel; and determining where gaps exist in training and resources; exploring partnerships across communities to better serve students; and examining successful programs in Mississippi and across the nation. The task force shall develop recommendations to the Legislature on changes to policy and laws in Mississippi with a goal of better identifying students at all levels struggling with mental health issues; training school, community college and university personnel related to student mental health, and thus improving health outcomes and the probability of student success.
(2) The members of the task force shall be as follows:
(a) The Chairmen of the Education Committees of the Mississippi Senate and the Mississippi House of Representatives, or their designees from their respective committee membership;
(b) The Chairmen of the Medicaid Committees of the Mississippi Senate and the Mississippi House of Representatives, or their designees from their respective committee membership;
(c) The Chairmen of the Universities and Colleges Committees of the Mississippi Senate and the Mississippi House of Representatives, or their designees from their respective committee membership;
(d) The Superintendent of the Mississippi Department of Education, or his or her designee;
(e) The Executive Director of the Mississippi Department of Mental Health, or his or her designee;
(f) The Director of the Mississippi Division of Medicaid, or his or her designee;
(g) The State Health Officer of the Mississippi Department of Health, or his or her designee;
(h) One (1) psychiatrist with expertise in treating children to be appointed by the Governor;
(i) One (1) clinical psychologist with expertise in treating children appointed by the Lieutenant Governor;
(j) One (1) school psychologist employed or contracted by a Mississippi Public School District, to be named by the Mississippi Association of Psychologists in the Schools;
(k) One (1) public school teacher appointed by the Governor;
(l) One (1) employee of a university counseling center, or a person otherwise responsible for coordinating or providing student mental health services on campus, appointed by the Governor;
(m) One (1) public school counselor appointed by the Lieutenant Governor;
(n) One (1) employee of a community college counseling center, or a person responsible for coordinating or providing student mental health services on campus, appointed by the Lieutenant Governor;
(o) One (1) school nurse employed in a Mississippi public school to be appointed by the Superintendent of Education;
(p) One (1) employee of a non-profit provider of mental and behavioral health services to youth, appointed by the Lieutenant Governor; and
(q) One (1) employee of a community mental health provider that provides services to a Mississippi public school school, appointed by the Governor.
(3) The task force shall meet within forty-five (45) days of the effective date of this act and shall evaluate the current data, resources, and laws and policies of the State of Mississippi. Specifically, the task force shall:
(a) Collect and analyze publicly available data and statistics related to the current state of student mental health, K-12 through the community college and university level;
(b) Explore the impact of trauma and mental health issues on student behavior, dropout and graduation rates, academic achievement, employment and related issues;
(c) Evaluate currently available resources for addressing student mental health including, but not limited to, partnerships with nonprofits or experts, telehealth opportunities, inpatient and outpatient resources;
(d) Review mental health training and professional development provided to K-12 school personnel and school personnel at community colleges and universities for classroom management, identification, referral, intervention and prevention;
(e) Evaluate successful strategies for addressing challenges in student mental health in Mississippi and across the nation;
(f) Review the current workforce landscapes as it relates to psychologists, nurses, counselors, behavior interventionists and others who work in schools, community colleges and universities, and consider strategies to recruit sufficient personnel if there are workforce strategies; and
(g) Review any other matters related to the above issues or student mental health in Mississippi.
(4) The task force may request the assistance of the Mississippi Department of Education, Mississippi Community College Board, Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning, Mississippi Department of Health, the Mississippi Department of Mental Health,
the University of Mississippi School of Medicine; the Mississippi Division of Medicaid or any other related agency, entity or organization with expertise in student mental health issues and services.
(5) The Chairmen of the Education Committees in the Mississippi Senate and Mississippi House of Representatives shall call the first meeting. The members of the task force shall elect a Chair from among the members at its first meeting. The task force shall develop and report its findings and recommendations to the Mississippi Legislature on or before October 1, 2024. A majority of the membership shall be required to approve any final report and recommendation. Meetings of the task force shall be held at the State Capitol; however, if it is not feasible for the task force to hold an in-person meeting, the task force may convene utilizing an online meeting platform that is accessible for viewing by the public.
(6) The Joint Legislative Committee on Performance Evaluation and Expenditure Review shall provide necessary clerical support for the meetings of the task force and the preparation of the report.
SECTION 2. (1) To complete the work it commenced in 2023, the Early Intervention Task Force created by Chapter 487, Laws of 2023, and dissolved December 1, 2023, is hereby reconstituted to serve in an advisory capacity to assist the state agency coordinating Part C of IDEA in implementing a new service delivery model. The goal of the task force shall be to collaborate with the state agency coordinating Part C of IDEA to design a new service delivery model and make changes to the Early Intervention Program.
(2) The members of the task force shall be as follows:
(a) The Chairmen of the Education Committees of the Mississippi Senate and the Mississippi House of Representatives, or their designee from their respective committee membership;
(b) The Chairmen of the Appropriations Committees of the Mississippi Senate and the Mississippi House of Representatives, or their designee from their respective committee membership;
(c) The Chairmen of the Public Health Committees of the Mississippi Senate and the Mississippi House of Representatives, or their designee from their respective committee membership; (d) One (1) member of the Mississippi State Senate, to be named by the Lieutenant Governor; and one (1) member of the Mississippi House of Representatives, to be named by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, who are interested in early intervention issues;
(e) The State Health Officer of the Mississippi Department of Health or a designated deputy;
(f) One (1) designee who is a direct service provider in the First Steps Early Intervention Program, to be named by the State Health Officer;
(g) One (1) faculty member from the Social Science Research Center (SSRC) at Mississippi State University, to be named by the Director of the SSRC;
(h) One (1) developmental-behavioral pediatrician with expertise in early childhood systems building, to be named by the Vice Chancellor of the University of Mississippi Medical Center; (i) One (1) general pediatrician, to be named by the Mississippi Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics;
(j) One (1) clinical psychologist with expertise in social-emotional health of infants and toddlers, to be named by the Vice Chancellor of the University of Mississippi Medical Center;
(k) One (1) school psychologist employed by a school district, to be named by the Mississippi Association of Psychologists in the Schools;
(l) One (1) early interventionist/development therapist, to be named by the State Health Officer;
(m) The Executive Director of the Mississippi Early Learning Alliance;
(n) One (1) family advocacy representative to be appointed by the Executive Director of the Mississippi Coalition for Citizens with Disabilities;
(o) One (1) parent representative with current experience with early intervention to be appointed by the Executive Director of the Mississippi Coalition for Citizens with Disabilities;
(p) One (1) faculty member from the College of Health Sciences at Jackson State University, to be named by the president of such university;
(q) One (1) pediatrician, to be named by the Mississippi Region of the National Medical Association;
(r) The Executive Director of the Division of Medicaid, Office of the Governor, or the executive director's designee; and (s) The Director of the State Department of Education's Early Childhood Education Office, or such director's designee.
(3) A faculty member from each of the universities within the institutions of higher learning with an early childhood development program or early intervention program may be named by the president of each university to assist the task force. In addition, the Executive Director of the Center for Mississippi Health Policy shall aid the task force.
(4) The task force shall meet within forty-five (45) days of the effective date of this act and shall commence its responsibilities set out in subsection (5) of this section.
(5) Specifically, in collaboration with the state agency coordinating Part C of IDEA, the task force shall:
(a) Review billing and reimbursement processes and rates for early intervention services in Mississippi and in other states, to ensure a timely receipt of payment to providers. In performing this function, a recommendation shall be made to the Legislature by January 1, 2025, on a more efficient system for providing compensation to providers and for billing and collecting from third-party payors;
(b) Evaluate early intervention service delivery models, including a hub or hybrid model involving university participation and determine how this model may impact the training of students and delivery of services to members of the eligible population. In performing this function, a recommendation shall be made to the Legislature that will offer a service delivery structure to enhance the efficient and effective delivery of quality services to the eligible population; and
(c) Review any other matters related to the above issues or related to early intervention services.
(6) The state agency coordinating Part C of IDEA and the task force may request the assistance of the Social Science Research Center at Mississippi State University, the Mississippi Early Learning Alliance or any other related entity or organization with expertise in early intervention services.
(7) The members of the task force shall elect a chair from among the members. The task force shall develop and report its findings and recommendations for proposed legislation to the Legislature in response to the proposal of the state agency coordinating Part C of IDEA to make changes to the service delivery structure for the program and changes to the way the state pays service providers and recoups payments from third-party payors, which shall be due to the task force and Legislature by December 1, 2024. A quorum of the membership shall be required to approve any final report and recommendation. Members of the task force shall be reimbursed for necessary travel expense in the same manner as public employees are reimbursed for official duties from any available funds, and members of the Legislature shall be reimbursed in the same manner as for attending out-of-session committee meetings.
(8) The Joint Legislative Committee on Performance Evaluation and Expenditure Review shall provide necessary clerical support for the meetings of the task force and research support as needed for the preparation of the report. Proposed legislation shall be prepared by the Legislative Services Offices of the Senate and House as requested.
(9) The task force shall be dissolved upon presentation of its report.
SECTION 3. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage.