FIRST REGULAR SESSION
94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVES BAKER (25) (Sponsor), LOW (39), CHAPPELLE-NADAL, TALBOY AND WRIGHT-JONES (Co-sponsors).
Read 1st time January 17, 2007 and copies ordered printed.
D. ADAM CRUMBLISS, Chief Clerk
AN ACT
To amend chapters 162 and 208, RSMo, by adding thereto two new sections relating to children's mental health.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Missouri, as follows:
Section A. Chapters 162 and 208, RSMo, are amended by adding thereto two new sections, to be known as sections 162.1125 and 208.198, to read as follows:
162.1125. 1. Every Missouri school district, in collaboration with the office of comprehensive child mental health, shall develop a policy of incorporating social and emotional development into the district's educational program. The policy shall address teaching and assessing social and emotional skills and protocols for responding to children with social, emotional, or mental health problems, or a combination of such problems, that impact early learning. Each district shall submit this policy to the Missouri state board of education by January 1, 2008.
2. The Missouri state board of education shall develop and implement a plan to incorporate social and emotional development standards for the purpose of enhancing and measuring children's school readiness and ability to achieve academic success in time for the 2008-2009 school year. The plan shall be submitted to the governor, the general assembly, and the children's services commission by July 1, 2008. Thereafter, the children's services commission shall receive annual reports from the state board of education on the implementation and effects of the plan so that the commission may issue recommendations for improvements to the plan developed under this section to the general assembly as needed.
208.198. 1. The department of social services shall require the screening and assessment of a child prior to any Medicaid-funded admission to an inpatient licensed hospital for psychiatric services. The screening and assessment shall include a determination of the appropriateness and availability of out-patient support services for necessary treatment. The department shall establish methods and standards of payment for the screening, assessment, and necessary alternative support services. The department of social services shall attempt to secure federal financial participation to fund such screening and assessments to the extent allowable under federal law.
2. The department of social services shall promulgate rules to implement the provisions of this section. Any rule or portion of a rule, as that term is defined in section 536.010, RSMo, that is created under the authority delegated in this section shall become effective only if it complies with and is subject to all of the provisions of chapter 536, RSMo, and, if applicable, section 536.028, RSMo. This section and chapter 536, RSMo, are nonseverable and if any of the powers vested with the general assembly pursuant to chapter 536, RSMo, to review, to delay the effective date, or to disapprove and annul a rule are subsequently held unconstitutional, then the grant of rulemaking authority and any rule proposed or adopted after August 28, 2007, shall be invalid and void.
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