Senate Substitute

HEALTH AND FAMILY EDUCATION (Section 160.527)

This act defines "health and family education" and requires that the current 1/2 credit hour of health education be renamed as "Health and Family Education" for the 2024-25 school year and all subsequent school years. The act further requires that the State Board of Education convene a work group to develop academic performance standards relating to health and family education. The work group shall include educators, representatives from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, and nonprofit organizations with a focus on public health, parenting, and social services. The State Board of Education shall adopt and implement the health and family education performance standards for the 2024-25 school year and each subsequent school year. These provisions are similar to SB 381 (2023) and HB 2916 (2022) and substantially similar to HCS/HB 883 (2023).

This provision is identical to HCS/SB 122 (2023) and a provision in HCS/SS/SCS/SBs 411 & 230 (2023), similar to SB 381 (2023) and HB 2916 (2022), and substantially similar to HCS/HB 883 (2023).

ADULT HIGH SCHOOLS (Sections 160.2705, 160.2720, and 160.2725)

Currently, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is required to authorize the operation of four adult high schools across the state. This act transfers such authority to the Department of Social Services. In addition, the Department of Social Services shall authorize a fifth adult high school to be located in Jackson County or an adjacent county.

The Department shall administer funding to the adult high schools subject to appropriations. For the existing adult high schools, the Department shall maintain authorization for the nonprofit organizations to operate the high school, provided that no more than one organization may be authorized to operate an adult high school in each of the current four locations. An organization may establish satellite campuses for any adult high school it is authorized to operate.

By January 1, 2024, the Department shall select a Missouri-based nonprofit organization to operate the high school, provided the organization meets current law requirements and demonstrates the ability to commit at least $500,000, rather than $2 million, for the necessary infrastructure to establish the school. The act also provides that such organization must limit the administrative fee to no more than ten percent.

Finally, each nonprofit organization must submit an annual report to the Department of Social Services in addition to other entities as provided in current law.

These provisions are identical to provisions in SS/SCS/HCS/HB 417 (2023) and HB 1183 (2023) and similar to SB 199 (2023) and provisions in HCS/SS/SCS/SBs 411 & 230 (2023).

DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION'S AUTHORITY TO AWARD GRANTS (Sections 161.243 and 205.565)

Subject to appropriations, the act authorizes the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to award grants to private entities that offer child care services. In order to qualify to receive such grants, a private entity shall meet the standards for high-quality early childhood education established by the Department under current law. The act also authorizes the Department to award grants to qualifying entities carrying out the Caring Communities youth outreach program under current law.

EDUCATIONAL FUNDING FOR STUDENTS BEING TREATED IN A RESIDENTIAL CARE FACILITY (Sections 163.063 and 167.126)

This act provides that, for purposes of calculating state and federal aid payments, a child who receives all of their required educational services on-site at a residential care facility shall be included in the average daily attendance of the school district that results in the most state and federal aid to the district in which the facility is located.

Any educational costs incurred by a residential care facility that are not remitted under the act may be reimbursed as provided under current law. A residential care facility and a school district may mutually agree to a financial arrangement that deviates from the provisions of the act.

The act adds children who have been admitted to a psychiatric residential treatment facility under a physician's order due to a diagnosed mental illness to the list of children who have the right to receive educational services in their district of residence. When a child's school district of residence, other than the district of domicile, provides educational services while the child temporarily resides in a psychiatric residential treatment facility for more than three days, the district of domicile shall remit to the district of residence an amount equal to the average per-pupil sum produced by the local tax effort of the district of domicile. In cases where the Department of Mental Health or the Department of Social Services places a child in a psychiatric residential treatment facility, the child's district of residence may receive from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education an amount equal to the sum by which the per-pupil costs of educational services provided to the child exceeds the amount received from the domiciliary district, subject to appropriation.

These provisions are similar to provisions in SB 422 (2023) and HCS/HB 715 (2023).

FOSTER CHILD ENROLLMENT

(Section 167.019)

In the event that a best interest determination is not completed within 10 days of a child's placement in foster care, the determination shall be that it is in the best interest of the child to enroll in the district where the child resides as a result of the placement. This provision shall apply only to cases where a child's residential address as the result of the foster care placement is located more than 10 miles (or, for children who receive services from a special school district, 15 miles) away from the relevant school building in the district of domicile. This provision is identical to a provision in HCS/SS/SB 198 (2023).

DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION REGARDING CERTAIN CHILDREN (Section 210.1360)

Except as otherwise provided by law, any personally identifiable information regarding a child who is receiving child care or applying for or receiving any services through a state program shall not be subject to disclosure. This provision shall not apply to any state, county, or municipal law enforcement agency acting in its official capacity. Additionally, a state agency shall not be prohibited from disclosing personally identifiable information to any governmental entity or its agents, vendors, grantees, and contractors in connection to matters relating to its official duties. This provision is similar to HB 1010 (2023).

OLIVIA SHANNON