Department of Education; survey of local education agencies on school-based mental and behavioral health services; report.
Summary
HB1947 directs the Virginia Department of Education to conduct a statewide survey of every local education agency (LEA) to determine how public schools currently provide access to local departments of social services, community services boards, and other community-based mental and behavioral health providers. The survey also asks what school-based mental and behavioral health services each LEA already offers.
Using the survey results and stakeholder feedback, the Department must update and improve its guidance for school professionals on how to connect students and families with community resources for mental and behavioral health support. The Department must then report its findings and recommendations to the Commission on Youth by November 1, 2025.
Impact
The bill does not create a new entitlement or mandate direct service delivery by schools; instead, it requires data collection, reporting, and guidance development by the Department of Education. Its practical effect is to inform state policy and local practice around student mental and behavioral health supports, while potentially influencing future standards, referrals, and coordination between schools and community providers. It affects the Department of Education, local education agencies, and the Commission on Youth, and it may indirectly shape how schools connect students to social services, community services boards, and behavioral health resources.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have broad bipartisan support and little visible opposition. It advanced unanimously through subcommittee, full committee, and floor votes in both chambers, with no recorded dissent in the available voting history. The overall sentiment suggests agreement that the state should better understand existing school-based mental and behavioral health services and improve coordination with community resources.
Contention
No major points of contention are evident in the available record. Because the bill is limited to surveying LEAs and reporting recommendations, it is a relatively low-conflict measure. Any potential concerns would likely center on administrative burden for school divisions, the scope of the survey, or how the resulting guidance might be used, but none of those issues appear to have generated opposition in the recorded votes.