A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO FULLY FUND SCHOOL COUNSELORS AND SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS OVER THREE YEARS.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  Article 21 of Chapter 115C of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new section to read:
"§ 115C‑316.2.  Appropriation for School Counselors and Psychologists.
(a)	Beginning with the 2018‑2019 fiscal year, there is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Public Instruction for the following fiscal years the following amounts to the instructional support allotment:
Fiscal Year	Appropriation	2018‑2019	$87,300,000		2019‑2020	$174,700,000	
2020‑2021 and each subsequent fiscal year thereafter	$262,000,000.
(b)	When developing the base budget, as defined by G.S. 143C‑1‑1, for each fiscal year specified in subsection (a) of this section, the Director of the Budget shall include the appropriated amount for that fiscal year.
(c)	Funds appropriated pursuant to subsection (a) of this section shall be allocated to local school administrative units to increase positions for school counselors and school psychologists to the following statewide ratios of personnel to students in the following fiscal years:
Fiscal Year	Counselors	Psychologists
2018‑2019	1:322	1:1,234
2019‑2020	1:282	1:895
2020‑2021 and each subsequent fiscal year thereafter	1:250	1:700.	
(d)	School counselors hired from funds provided pursuant to subsection (a) of this section shall have, as a first responsibility, preventative and responsive services, as provided in G.S. 115C‑316.1(3), including mental health counseling."
SECTION 2.  G.S. 115C‑316.1(a)(3) reads as rewritten:
"(3)	Providing preventative and responsive services through consultation with students, families, and staff; individual and small group counseling; crisis counseling; referrals; and peer facilitation."
SECTION 3.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2018.