CHAPTER 445
An Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Resources and the Secretary of Education to establish a school-based health centers joint task force; report.
[S 1195]
Approved March 18, 2019
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. § 1. The Virginia's Children's Cabinet established by the Governor pursuant to Executive Order No. 11 (2018) shall establish a school-based health centers joint task force (the joint task force) that includes representatives from the General Assembly, the Department of Health, the Department of Education, the Department of Medical Assistance Services, the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, the Office of Children's Services, and all other relevant state agencies and stakeholder groups deemed appropriate, who shall be tasked with (i) assessing the current landscape of school-based services and mental health screening, evaluation, and treatment in school settings; (ii) in coordination with ongoing behavioral health transformation efforts of the Department of Medical Assistance Services and the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, developing best practice recommendations for trauma-informed school-based health centers as a vehicle for the provision of both medical and behavioral health services delivered in school settings; (iii) evaluating options for billing public and private insurance for school-based health services; and (iv) developing a plan for establishing a Virginia affiliate member organization, recognized by the national School-Based Health Alliance, for the purposes of providing technical assistance and guidance for localities interested in bolstering or implementing current and future school-based health centers. The joint task force shall work in coordination with the Department of Medical Assistance Services and the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services and may serve as an advisory body to other relevant committees, commissions, and members of the General Assembly on school-based health matters. The joint task force shall hold a minimum of four meetings and shall report its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the Chairmen of the Senate Committee on Education and Health and the House Committees on Education and Health, Welfare and Institutions by December 1, 2019.