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HB 1709

An Act amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, in miscellaneous provisions relating to institutions of higher education, providing for employment certification for adjunct and part-time faculty.

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Anthony Bellmon and 12 co-sponsors

Expands the in-schools program to include licensed mental health counselors alongside human services workers, funding districts to place staff in high-poverty schools.

Referred to Education
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Bill Summary · HB 1709

Summary — HB 1709 (Arkansas, 95th General Assembly, 2025)

Title: Appropriation; City of Carthage for programs and projects for police department.
Note: documents provided also included unrelated HB1709 texts from other states. This summary addresses the Arkansas bill text titled “Human Services Workers and Mental Health Counselors in the Schools Program” (Ark. Code §20‑76‑112 amendment) and its fiscal materials.

Main purpose

Amend the existing “Human Services Workers in the Schools” program to formally add and fund licensed mental health counselors as part of a collaborative statewide program placing human services staff and mental health counselors in public schools (with priority for high‑poverty schools).

Key provisions

  • Renames/expands the program to the “Human Services Workers and Mental Health Counselors in the Schools Program.”
  • Establishes the program as a collaborative effort among the Division of Children and Family Services (DCFS), the Arkansas Workforce Development Board, the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), and local school districts.
  • DCFS, with board approval, shall contract with local school districts to provide funding for the maximum number of human services workers and mental health counselors.
  • Staffing qualifications:
    • Mental health counselors: bachelor’s or master’s degree in mental health or counseling fields.
    • Human services workers: bachelor’s or master’s degree in social work or a related field (text indicates degree requirements).
  • Enumerates services to be provided by staff: crisis intervention; school conferences and in‑service training; home visits; transportation for family/student group counseling; parent training; referrals to supportive services; individual coping/conflict management skills; assessment of family and student needs.
  • Funding targeting and prioritization:
    • Funds are targeted to schools with 80% or more students eligible for Free and Reduced Price Lunch.
    • DESE and DCFS to develop criteria to prioritize eligibility among applicants.
  • Oversight and evaluation:
    • DESE’s Coordinated Health Services Section shall evaluate the program annually in coordination with DCFS, the Workforce Development Board, and participating districts.
  • Parental/student rights: parents or students may refuse any recommended services.

Fiscal impact (as estimated)

  • Arkansas Department of Human Services estimated a first‑year State Share (Total Computable) of $31,422,604 under assumptions used: 99 districts meeting criteria, an average staffing formula of 1 service worker and 1 mental health counselor per 4 schools, and training cost estimated at $94,378 per service worker (training amount excludes field training).
  • Arkansas Department of Education noted “No Fiscal Impact to ADE”; DCFS would contract with districts to provide funding.

Who is affected

  • Students and families attending high‑poverty Arkansas schools (priority to schools with ≥80% FRL).
  • Local school districts that apply for program contracts.
  • DCFS, DESE, and the Arkansas Workforce Development Board (program administration and contracting).
  • Practitioners: human services workers and mental health counselors (employment, credentialing, training).
  • State budget / appropriation authorities (would require funding commitment).

Procedural status

  • Introduced: December 23, 2024 (95th General Assembly, Regular Session 2025).
  • Administrative and fiscal documents dated March 2025.
  • Final status: Died in committee / did not become law (bill did not advance to enactment during the 2025 session).

If you want, I can extract the DHS district cost table into a clean table or create alternative staffing/fiscal scenarios (e.g., per‑school or per‑district cost breakdowns).

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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