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HCR 131

REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR EVALUATE THE FEASIBILITY OF APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS FOR SCHOOL-BASED MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS.

153rd General Assembly (2025-2026) Introduced by Kerri Harris and 8 co-sponsors

The bill urges the Delaware Department of Labor to study and report on the feasibility and design of apprenticeship programs for school-based mental health professionals.

Passed By Senate. Votes: 20 YES 1 ABSENT
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Bill Summary · HCR 131

Bill Overview

  • Bill: HCR 131 (House Concurrent Resolution)
  • Session: Delaware General Assembly, Session 153
  • Title: REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR EVALUATE THE FEASIBILITY OF APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS FOR SCHOOL-BASED MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS
  • Status: Introduced and assigned to the Labor Committee in the House (as of 2026-05-14)
  • Sponsors: Ed Osienski (primary), with co-sponsors Nicole Poore, Jack Walsh, Brian Pettyjohn, Claire Snyder-Hall, Eric Morrison, Laura Sturgeon, and Ray Seigfried

Purpose and Intent

  • The resolution seeks to formalize a request to Delaware’s Department of Labor (DOL) to study and assess whether apprenticeship programs can be developed and implemented to support school-based mental health professionals.
  • The goal is to determine feasibility, practical design, and potential benefits of such apprenticeships within the state’s educational and mental health systems.

Key Provisions and Changes

  • Formal Request: The House (and potentially the Senate, via concurrent resolution) would urge the Delaware Department of Labor to conduct an evaluation.
  • Scope of Evaluation (implied by title and purpose):
    • Identify potential models of school-based mental health professional apprenticeships (e.g., for counselors, social workers, psychologists, or related ancillary roles embedded in K-12 schools).
    • Assess alignment with current licensure, certification requirements, and workforce needs.
    • Evaluate funding mechanisms, costs, and sustainability.
    • Consider partnerships with school districts, postsecondary institutions, and employers.
    • Analyze timelines, apprenticeship durations, wage structures, job duties, and supervision/mentorship requirements.
    • Identify potential regulatory or policy barriers, and propose actionable recommendations.
  • Deliverables (implied): A formal report or set of recommendations back to the General Assembly outlining feasibility, design considerations, and next steps.

Who/What Would be Affected

  • State agencies: Delaware Department of Labor would conduct the evaluation.
  • Educational system: School districts, charter schools, and other educational service providers may be impacted by any resulting program design, eligibility criteria, and implementation considerations.
  • Licensure/Certification Entities: Bodies responsible for credentialing school-based mental health professionals may be involved in evaluating compatibility with apprenticeship models.
  • Workforce and Economic Development: Potentially broader implications for workforce pipelines, funding, and workforce planning in education and mental health sectors.

Procedural and Timeline Aspects

  • Procedural Path: As a concurrent resolution, it would typically pass the House and Senate to express the legislature’s stance and direct the Department of Labor to study the issue.
  • Timeline: The resolution notes a directive to evaluate feasibility; specific deadlines for the Department’s report are not provided in the summary, but such resolutions generally include a timeline for when the department should complete its assessment and report back to the General Assembly.
  • Committee Assignment: Labor Committee (House) is the initial assignment, indicating the bill’s primary focus is on labor/workforce considerations related to apprenticeship strategies.

Potential Impact

  • Workforce Development: If feasibility is established, the state could formalize apprenticeship pathways to grow a workforce of school-based mental health professionals.
  • Education-Health Intersection: Promotes collaboration between labor, education, and mental health sectors to address student wellbeing and access to mental health services.
  • Policy Formation: Provides data and recommendations that could lead to future legislation or pilot programs, funding, and regulatory updates to support apprenticeship models.

Notes

  • As a concurrent resolution, the bill primarily serves to urge gubernatorial or departmental action and does not itself create new funding or statutes, but it can catalyze subsequent legislative or administrative initiatives depending on the Department of Labor’s evaluation outcomes.

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

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