Bill
A 1657
School staff can refer students to licensed outside counselors for mental health services, with consent, conflict-of-interest rules, and no mandatory district payment.
Status: Introduced Jan 9, 2024; passed Assembly Dec 19, 2024 (56-12-4); reported by Assembly Education Committee (Sept 19, 2024) and Senate Education Committee (Nov 10, 2025) with amendments; received in the Senate Jan 14, 2025 and referred to Senate Education Committee; also referred to Insurance (Jan 10, 2025). Bill is identical to companion S2380 (as amended).
Note: some of the bill metadata provided with the request (title and a separate sponsors list) appears inconsistent with the bill text. The bill language and committee statements summarized below reflect the reprinted Assembly text and committee amendments (sponsored in the Assembly by Pamela R. Lampitt, Louis D. Greenwald, and Shaniqu e Speight).
Purpose
- To authorize certain school-based mental health professionals to refer, or help facilitate the referral of, public school students to licensed outside counselors or counseling practices for mental health assessments and services, while setting consent, conflict-of-interest, and cost-allocation rules.
Key provisions
- Who may refer: A student assistance coordinator, school counselor, school psychologist, or other mental health professional employed by a school district may refer or help facilitate referral of a student to a person or practice licensed to provide professional counseling under Title 45 (examples noted in committee materials include psychiatrists, certified social workers, licensed clinical social workers, licensed marriage and family therapists, psychologists, etc.).
- Referral recipients: Referrals may be made to licensed individuals or licensed practices (committee amendment clarifies practices are included).
- Conflict-of-interest prohibition: The school professional may not refer a student to a licensed provider with whom the school employee, the employee’s immediate family, or the employee together with his/her family has a “significant beneficial interest.”
- Parental/guardian notice and consent:
- For students not legally permitted to consent on their own, the parent or guardian must be notified of a referral or facilitated referral and must consent before any outside assessment or service is provided.
- A committee amendment requires that the licensed provider obtain consent from the student (if able) or from the parent/guardian (when the student cannot legally consent) prior to providing assessments or services.
- Costs: Neither the school district nor the individual school employee who refers or facilitates a referral is required to pay for the assessments or services provided by the external licensed provider — unless another law requires otherwise.
- Preserve district authority: The bill does not limit a school district’s authority to provide mental health assessments and services to students either before or after an outside referral is made.
- Effective date: The act would take effect immediately upon enactment (per introduced text).
Who is affected
- Students in public school districts who may need mental health assessments or services.
- School-based mental health staff (student assistance coordinators, counselors, psychologists, other mental health professionals) — new referral authority and obligations (conflict-of-interest prohibition, notification/consent procedures).
- Parents and guardians — notice and consent requirements for minors who may not legally consent.
- Licensed mental health providers and practices outside the school who receive referrals — required to obtain consent before providing services.
- School district budgets — bill explicitly states the district is not required to pay for referred services (subject to other applicable laws/programs).
Procedural / timeline notes
- Assembly passage: Dec 19, 2024 (56-12-4).
- Referred to Senate and reported by Senate Education Committee with amendments Nov 10, 2025 (1R/2R activity noted).
- Committee amendments clarified inclusion of licensed practices (not just private individuals) and added provider obligation to obtain consent; also clarified that cost non‑responsibility is subject to other laws.
- Bill is paired with companion S2380 (reported by Senate committee on same date).
Potential impacts and considerations
- May improve continuity of care by enabling school professionals to connect students to community-based licensed providers.
- Protects against referral conflicts of interest and requires parental involvement for minors who cannot self-consent.
- Leaves payment responsibility to families, insurers, or other programs — could raise access concerns for uninsured or underinsured students unless other funding/coverage applies.
- Does not change a district’s ability to provide in-school services; rather, it supplements referral options.
For further reading: see Assembly Bill No. 1657 reprint texts and committee statements (Assembly Education Statement, Sept 19, 2024; Senate Education Statement, Nov 10, 2025) and companion S2380.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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