Bill
S 441
Massachusetts bill would require school-based mental health staff at 1 per 250 students, with at least one per school, including counselors, psychologists, and social workers.
Note on source materials and metadata
- The bill text included in the file is a Massachusetts General Court bill presented by Senator Rebecca L. Rausch (D‑Norfolk, Worcester & Middlesex) titled “An Act ensuring access to mental health supports in K‑12 schools.” Some other metadata in the request (alternate short title about language minorities, sponsors from the U.S. Senate, and mixed committee entries) appear to be from different bills or jurisdictions and conflict with the MA bill text. This summary follows the MA bill language (filed 1/17/2025, Senate Docket No. 2121 / S.441).
Purpose
- To require the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) to ensure that Massachusetts public K‑12 schools provide a minimum level of school‑based mental health staffing and to define permissible roles and services of those professionals.
Key provisions
- Statutory amendment: Inserts a new subsection (h) into Section 1P of Chapter 69 of the Massachusetts General Laws (as in the 2022 Official Edition).
- Staffing ratio: DESE shall provide school mental health professionals at a ratio of at least 1 per 250 students.
- Minimum per school: Each elementary and each secondary school in the Commonwealth must have at least one school mental health professional.
- Definition: “School mental health professional” is defined to include school counselors, school psychologists, or school social workers.
- Scope of services (consistent with applicable scopes of practice): school mental health professionals may, without limitation, do the following:
- Provide direct mental health services to students.
- Train and provide resources to faculty and administrators.
- Supply culturally competent and linguistically diverse resources to support students’ social and emotional health.
- Deliver direct social‑emotional skill‑building.
- Assist students and families in applying for and obtaining public benefits for which they are eligible.
- Provide services and supports for students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs).
- Consult and coordinate with other school professionals and support families accessing community‑based resources.
- Identify issues such as food insecurity and homelessness and make community referrals, bringing services into the school where feasible.
Who would be affected
- Public K‑12 students in Massachusetts (all districts) — increased access to school‑based mental health supports.
- School districts and individual schools — required to ensure at least one qualified mental health professional on site and to meet the 1:250 ratio statewide.
- School staffing, HR, and budgeting — districts will need to hire or contract for additional counselors, psychologists, and social workers and may need to expand partnerships with community providers.
- Families and community service providers — increased coordination and assistance with benefits and wraparound services.
Implementation and fiscal considerations
- The statutory language mandates staffing levels but does not appropriate funding or specify a timeline for achieving the ratio. Implementation would therefore likely require:
- State appropriations or guidance on funding mechanisms (grant programs, Medicaid reimbursements, district budgets).
- Workforce development, including recruitment, credentialing, and attention to culturally and linguistically diverse staffing.
- Local school and district planning to integrate services, referral pathways, and data collection to monitor compliance.
- Because the bill sets statewide staffing targets, the fiscal impact could be substantial depending on current baseline staffing levels; this would need a separate fiscal estimate.
Procedural status (from provided file)
- Filed/presented in the Massachusetts Senate (Docket No. 2121) on 1/17/2025 by Sen. Rebecca L. Rausch. Further procedural entries provided in source material were inconsistent; confirm current status with the official Massachusetts General Court bill tracking system for up‑to‑date committee referrals, hearings, amendments, and votes.
Key considerations for stakeholders
- Advocates: would likely emphasize improved access to mental health care, early intervention, and supports for students with behavioral health needs.
- School districts: will need clarity on funding, allowable use of existing staff, and timelines to meet the ratio.
- Workforce/credentialing bodies: may need to coordinate to expand pipelines for counselors, psychologists, and social workers—especially with cultural and linguistic competency requirements.
For definitive procedural history, fiscal notes, and any amended language, consult the Massachusetts General Court bill page for S.441 (Docket No. 2121).
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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