An Act to create 36.25 (13h) of the statutes; Relating to: provision of virtual mental health services for students at certain UW System institutions. (FE)
Summary
AB299 would require the University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents to contract with a vendor to provide virtual mental health services for students at UW System institutions with 30,000 or fewer full-time enrolled undergraduate students. The services would be intended to supplement existing campus-based mental health offerings and extend access beyond traditional business hours. The bill specifies that the vendor’s services should include evidence-based clinical wellness content, behavioral health coaches, and licensed mental health providers experienced in serving higher education students.
The bill also directs the Board of Regents to prioritize vendors with at least five years of experience providing mental health services to institutions and students in higher education, and with software that supports collaboration between the vendor and campus clinical staff. In addition, the vendor would be required to submit annual reports to the Board of Regents and the Legislature detailing use of the virtual services, including system-wide and institution-specific statistics.
Impact
AB299 would create a new statutory requirement in s. 36.25 (13h) governing UW System mental health service procurement for smaller institutions. It would expand the state’s role in student mental health support by mandating virtual services for qualifying campuses and establishing reporting obligations to the Legislature. The bill would affect the Board of Regents, selected vendors, and students at UW System institutions with 30,000 or fewer full-time undergraduate students, while leaving larger institutions outside the mandate.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have been generally supportive in concept, as reflected by its focus on expanding student mental health access and supplementing campus services, but there is no recorded committee transcript or vote history in the provided materials to show detailed debate. Its eventual failure to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1 indicates that it did not advance to enactment despite the policy goal of improving access to care. Overall, the available record suggests a policy-oriented measure with no documented floor or committee opposition in the supplied context.
Contention
The main policy questions likely concern whether the state should require a centralized virtual mental health contract for certain UW campuses, how the vendor should be selected, and whether the reporting and service requirements are sufficiently tailored to campus needs. Potential points of contention include the cost of the mandate, the effectiveness of virtual services compared with in-person counseling, and whether the 30,000-student threshold creates an appropriate distinction between institutions. Because no committee discussion or votes were provided, specific supporters or opponents cannot be identified from the record.
Crossfiled
An Act to create 36.25 (13h) of the statutes; Relating to: provision of virtual mental health services for students at certain UW System institutions. (FE)