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REFERENCE TITLE: school counselors; social workers; grants |
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State of Arizona House of Representatives Fifty-fourth Legislature Second Regular Session 2020
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HB 2847 |
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Introduced by Representatives Longdon: Blanc, Bolding, Fernandez, Hernandez A, Hernandez D, Jermaine, Meza, Salman, Terán, Senators Alston, Bowie, Bradley, Brophy McGee, Carter, Contreras, Otondo, Rios, Steele
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AN ACT
AMENDING TITLE 15, CHAPTER 1, ARTICLE 1, ARIZONA REVISED STATUTES, BY ADDING SECTION 15-120.01; AMENDING TITLE 15, CHAPTER 2, ARTICLE 1, ARIZONA REVISED STATUTES, BY ADDING SECTION 15-217; AMENDING TITLE 15, CHAPTER 2, ARTICLE 2, ARIZONA REVISED STATUTES, BY ADDING SECTION 15-245; APPROPRIATING MONIES; RELATING TO SCHOOL employees.
(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:
Section 1. Title 15, chapter 1, article 1, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 15-120.01, to read:
15-120.01. School counselor or school social worker ratio; exception; definitions
A. Except as provided in subsection B of this section, beginning in the 2025-2026 school year, if sufficient monies are appropriated for this purpose, each school district and charter school shall hire at least one school counselor or school social worker for every five hundred fifty students who are enrolled in the school district or charter school.
B. If a school district or charter school has fewer than five hundred fifty students enrolled, the school district or charter school shall either:
1. Hire one school counselor or school social worker who may be employed on a part-time basis.
2. Enter into an intergovernmental agreement with one or more other school districts or charter schools to contract for school counselor or school social worker services.
C. For the purposes of this section:
1. "School counselor" means a professional educator who holds a valid school counselor certificate issued by the state board of education pursuant to section 15-217.
2. "School social worker" means a professional educator who holds a valid school social worker certificate issued by the state board of education pursuant to section 15‑217.
Sec. 2. Title 15, chapter 2, article 1, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 15-217, to read:
15-217. School counselors; school social workers; certification; rules; definitions
A. The state board of education shall issue a certificate to both:
1. School counselors who satisfy the certification requirements adopted by the state board of education. In developing the certification requirements, the state board of education shall recognize that the purpose and role of the school counselor is to plan, organize and deliver a comprehensive school guidance and counseling program that personalizes education and that supports, promotes and enhances the academic, personal, social, emotional and career development of all students. The certification shall conform to standards adopted for school counseling programs by a national association of school counselors.
2. School social workers who satisfy the certification requirements adopted by the state board of education.
B. A person may not be employed as a school counselor or school social worker in a school district or charter school in this state after June 30, 2021 unless that person obtains a school counselor certificate or a school social worker certificate from the state board of education.
C. The state board of education shall adopt rules to carry out the purposes of this section.
D. For the purposes of this section, "school counselor" and "school social worker" have the same meanings prescribed in section 15-120.01.
Sec. 3. Title 15, chapter 2, article 2, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 15-245, to read:
15-245. School counseling and school social worker plan grant fund; applications; selection criteria; advisory committee; definition
A. The school counseling and school social worker plan grant fund is established consisting of legislative appropriations. The department of education shall administer the fund. The department shall distribute monies in the fund to schools, school districts and charter schools to assist with the costs of implementing school counseling and school social worker plans as provided in this section. Monies in the fund are subject to legislative appropriation.
B. The department of education shall establish application and selection procedures to distribute grants from the fund.
C. Schools, school districts and charter schools may apply to the department of education for a grant from the fund. Schools, school districts and charter schools that have entered into an intergovernmental agreement for school counselor or school social worker services may jointly apply pursuant to this subsection. The application shall include all of the following:
1. A letter of commitment to adopt a comprehensive school counseling and school social worker plan that defines the relationship of the school counselor or school social worker to local community resources.
2. A description of the methods for evaluating the effectiveness of the school counseling and school social worker plan.
3. Policies on confidentiality under the school counseling and school social worker plan.
4. Policies on notifying and providing services to parents and other family members.
5. A description of the school's or school district's referral procedures to the appropriate community entities and state agencies.
6. A description of the scope of the services that the school or school district will provide.
D. The superintendent of public instruction may appoint a school counseling and social worker plan grant fund advisory committee within the department of education to advise the department and the superintendent on adopting selection criteria to award grants from the fund. The advisory committee shall consist of one or more of the following:
1. School counselors.
2. School administrators.
3. School principals.
4. Teachers.
5. Parents of pupils who are enrolled in school districts or charter schools.
6. Community mental health professionals.
7. School social workers.
E. The department of education, in cooperation with the superintendent of public instruction, may adopt policies to carry out the purposes of this section.
F. For the purposes of this section, "school counseling and school social worker plan" means a counseling and social worker plan in a school district or charter school that is managed by one or more professional educators who hold a valid school counselor certificate or school social worker certificate issued by the state board of education pursuant to section 15-217.
Sec. 4. Appropriations; department of education; school counseling and school social worker plan grant fund
The following sums are appropriated from the state general fund in each of the following fiscal years to the school counseling and school social worker plan grant fund established by section 15‑245, Arizona Revised Statutes, as added by this act, and are appropriated from the school counseling and school social worker plan grant fund to the department of education:
1. $19,000,000 in fiscal year 2020-2021.
2. $38,000,000 in fiscal year 2021-2022.
3. $57,000,000 in fiscal year 2022-2023.
4. $76,000,000 in fiscal year 2023-2024.
5. $95,000,000 in fiscal year 2024-2025.