A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT appropriating funds to establish a student health collaborative pilot program to provide support to students while in public school settings.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.(a)  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Social Services, the sum of five million dollars ($5,000,000) in nonrecurring funds for the 2020‑2021 fiscal year to establish a one‑year student health collaborative pilot program. The Division of Social Services, in collaboration with the Department of Public Instruction and the Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Abuse Services, shall implement the pilot program by developing criteria that award grants to county departments of social services and public school units to collaborate in assisting students with their mental and physical well‑being while in public school settings. A county department of social services and public school unit receiving a grant for a student health collaborative pursuant to this section shall establish a team of individuals to provide students with a variety of supports based on students' needs ranging from dropout prevention services to providing access to community resources, such as food and nutrition services or Medicaid. These teams shall be comprised of individuals from various certified or licensed backgrounds, including, but not limited to, psychotherapists as defined in G.S. 90‑21.41, school nurses, school resource officers, and other behavioral health professionals.
SECTION 1.(b)  The Division of Social Services shall select five counties to participate in the collaborative pilot from geographically diverse areas in the State, with representation from two tier one counties, two tier two counties, and one tier three county. Each county selected to participate in the pilot shall receive a grant in the amount of up to one million dollars ($1,000,000) in State funds upon providing the required local match as follows:
(1)	Tier one county. – Local match of thirty percent (30%).
(2)	Tier two county. – Local match of forty percent (40%).
(3)	Tier three county. – Local match of fifty percent (50%).
SECTION 1.(c)  For purposes of this section, tier one, tier two, and tier three counties shall have the same designations as those established by the NC Department of Commerce's 2020 County Tier Designations pursuant to G.S. 143B‑437.08.
SECTION 2.  The Division of Social Services shall submit a progress report six months after implementing the pilot program established by this act and submit a final report within three months after completion of the pilot program to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Health and Human Services, the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee, and the Fiscal Research Division. The final report shall include, at a minimum, each of the following:
(1)	The number of students served by age, county, gender, and ethnicity.
(2)	The types of services or supports provided to students, including student outcomes.
(3)	Total project costs, including any administrative costs.
(4)	The amount of funds needed to expand the program to other counties or statewide.
(5)	Any other relevant information deemed appropriate.
SECTION 3.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2020.