PROF. DEVELOPMENT; MENTAL HEALTH                                                           S.B. 321:

                                                                                                    SUMMARY OF BILL

                                                                                     REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE

Senate Bill 321 (as reported without amendment)

Sponsor:  Senator Sylvia Santana

Committee:  Education and Career Readiness

CONTENT

The bill would amend the Revised School Code to do the following:

-- Require the Michigan Department of Education (MDE), in coordination with the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), community mental health services programs, and State associations representing mental health professionals, to develop or adopt professional development standards for teachers on recognizing and addressing mental health needs within one year after the bill's effective date.

-- Require the standards to include coverage on the identification of potential risk factors and warning signs for mental illness, and strategies for helping an individual experiencing a mental health crisis.

-- Allow the professional development on recognizing and addressing mental health needs to be counted towards the days of professional development required under the Code if it met the standards prescribed in the bill.

The bill would take effect 90 days after its enactment.

MCL 380.1526b                                                           Legislative Analyst:  Dana Adams

FISCAL IMPACT

The bill would have a minimal fiscal impact on the Department of Education and local units of government. The MDE would experience a minimal fiscal impact to conduct research on various professional development courses. If the MDE adopted a course instead of developing one, it would experience fewer administrative costs. Intermediate school districts, school districts, and charter schools could experience reduced costs if they otherwise would have devoted resources to research and development of professional development courses for recognizing and addressing mental health needs locally.

The bill would lead to indeterminate minor costs for the DHHS resulting from the requirement that it work with the MDE to develop or adopt a professional development course on recognizing and addressing mental health needs.

Date Completed:  9-21-21                                               Fiscal Analyst:  Ellyn Ackerman

                                                                                                               Cory Savino                                         

This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.