House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda

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House of Representatives
Session of 2019 - 2020 Regular Session

MEMORANDUM

Posted:	January 30, 2019 02:54 PM
From:	Representative Tarah Toohil
To:	All House members
Subject:	Providing More Access to Mental Health Professionals in Schools

In the near future, I plan to re-introduce legislation which will increase the ability for school districts to hire professionals to focus on the mental health needs of their students. Through conversations with school officials in our districts, it is evident that we need to dedicate serious and sustainable funding to enable our schools to assist their students with mental health needs. Over the years, schools have reduced the number of guidance counselors yet have increased their responsibilities. This legislation will empower school districts to hire the professionals they need to fill this void by providing options to hire a social worker, school psychologist, or guidance counselor to solely focus on mental health issues. The funding for this legislation will come from the current filing fees for civil actions, legal proceedings, and property transfers; as well as, criminal, traffic, and summary filings. By redirecting these fees to address mental health concerns in our schools, we will be preventing school violence and providing a resource to our schools that they desperately need. Please join me in co-sponsoring this important piece of legislation.

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