S1070 —

S1070 SHI1R Statement[First 10/19/20Reprint] SENATE HIGHER EDUCATION COMMITTEE   STATEMENT TO   SENATE, No.

 1070 withSTATE committeeOF amendmentsNEW JERSEY 219th LEGISLATURE   STATEINTRODUCED OFJANUARY NEW30, JERSEY2020   DATED:  Sponsored by:

 OCTOBERSenator  19,KRISTIN 2020M.        The Senate Higher Education Committee reports favorably Senate Bill No.

1070CORRADO withDistrict committee40 amendments.(Bergen, Essex, Morris and Passaic) Senator  THOMAS H.

    KEAN, AsJR. amended, this bill, known as the “College Mental Health Services Act,” establishes in the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education the “College Mental Health Services Grant Program.”  The purpose of the program will be to allocate grant moneys to senior public institutions of higher education and county colleges in the State to establish or improve access to mental health services on the campuses of the institutions.       A grant received by a public institution of higher education under the program is to be specifically used for efforts to improve student access to, and the timeliness of the provision of, mental health services and supports.  The grant may be used for, but is not limited to:

developingDistrict initiatives21 to(Morris, reduceSomerset waitand timesUnion) for  studentsCo-Sponsored seekingby: mental health services and supports;

hiringSenators additionalCunningham mentaland healthGopal professionals  to  provide  mental  healthSYNOPSIS services     and“College supportsMental toHealth studentsServices atAct”; the institution;

contractingestablishes withgrant independentprogram for public orinstitutions privateof entitieshigher education and requires public institutions of higher education to providereport certain information concerning mental health servicestreatment and supports;suicides.

creating  methodsCURRENT toVERSION enhanceOF theTEXT identification     ofAs studentsreported whoby maythe beSenate experiencingHigher personal,Education school,Committee oron familyOctober difficulties19, impacting2020, thewith student’samendments. mental health;

and   implementingAn effortsAct toconcerning increasemental awarenesshealth amongon studentscollege ofcampuses existing on-campus and communitysupplementing resourceschapter for62 studentsof experiencingTitle mental18A healthof difficulties. the     New TheJersey billStatutes.  also  requires     publicBe institutionsIt ofEnacted higherby educationthe toSenate postand onGeneral theirAssembly Internetof websites the followingState informationof forNew eachJersey: semester:

       1.    This act shall be known and may be cited as the ratio“College Mental Health Services Act.”         2.    a.  There is established in the Office of studentsthe Secretary of Higher Education the “College Mental Health Services Grant Program.”  The purpose of the program shall be to allocate grant moneys to public institutions of higher education to improve access to mental health professionalsservices aton the institution;campuses of the institutions.       b.    A grant received by a public institution of higher education under the program shall be specifically used for efforts to improve student access to, and the timeliness of the provision of, mental health services and supports.  The grant may be used for, but is not limited to:

the     total(1)  numberdeveloping ofinitiatives to reduce wait times for students whoseeking hadmental appointmentshealth withservices aand supports;       (2)  hiring additional mental health professionalprofessionals to provide mental health services and supports to students at the institution;

the     number(3)  ofcontracting studentswith whoindependent hadpublic onlyor oneprivate appointmententities withto aprovide mental health professional;services and supports;

     (4)  creating methods to enhance the numberidentification of students who hadmay threebe experiencing personal, school, or morefamily appointmentsdifficulties impacting the student’s mental health;  and      (5)  implementing efforts to increase awareness among students of existing on-campus and community resources for students experiencing mental health difficulties.       c.     To be eligible for consideration for a grant award, a public institution of higher education shall submit an application to the Secretary of Higher Education, in accordance with application procedures and requirements prescribed by the secretary.  A grant application shall include a complete description of the institution’s specific plans and objectives for the use of the grant funds and any other information specified by the secretary.       d.    The secretary shall establish selection criteria for the awarding of grant funds under the program.  The secretary shall establish the amount for each grant that is approved.         3.    a.  There is created within the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education a fund to be known as the “College Mental Health Services Grant Fund.”  The fund shall be used to provide grants to New Jersey public institutions of higher education under the “College Mental Health Services Grant Program” established pursuant to section of this act.       b.    The fund shall annually be credited with moneys appropriated by the State, any moneys received by the State from corporate donors or other private sector support, and any federal funds which may become available for higher education and mental health professional;services and supports purposes.          4.   1a.1 Beginning with the first full academic year following the date of enactment 1of this act1, a public institution of higher education shall provide for public inspection on its Internet website information on:

     1[a.   the total number of appointmentsstudents madeenrolled byin studentsthe withinstitution mentalwho healthcommitted professionals;suicide;

     b.    the averagetotal number of appointments for those students whoenrolled hadin morethe thaninstitution onewho appointmentattempted withto acommit mentalsuicide; health professional;

the     averagec.     wait] time(1)1 forthe ratio of students to receivemental appointmentshealth withprofessionals aat mentalthe healthinstitution;  professional;     1[d.

] (2)1 the total number of students who werehad referredappointments towith outsidea mental health services;professional at the institution;

and     1[e.] (3)1    the number of students who werehad referredonly toone emergencyappointment carewith duea to mental health concerns. professional Theat information will be updated no more than 60 days following the endinstitution; of each semester and will be posted on the institution’s website.

     The1[f. bill also requires each public institution of higher education to annually report to the Secretary of Higher Education on the total number of students enrolled in the institution who committed suicide in the previous academic year, and             the total number of students enrolled in the institution who attempted to commit suicide in the previous academic year.  The secretary must report the total number of student suicides and student suicide attempts at all public institutions of higher education combined to the Governor, and to the Legislature.  The secretary may also authorize limited disclosure of the collected data in medical, academic, or policy studies.

 ] COMMITTEE(4)1 AMENDMENTS:the number of students who had three or more appointments with a mental health professional at the institution;

          The1[g.] committee(5)1 amendedthe total number of appointments made by students with mental health professionals at the billinstitution;  to:     1[h.] (6)1 the average number of appointments for those students who had more than one appointment with a mental health professional at the institution;

          1.  1[i.] remove(7)1 the bill’saverage requirementwait thattime afor publicstudents institutionto ofmeet higherwith educationa publiclymental reporthealth onprofessional itsat website the totalinstitution;       1[j.] (8)1 the number of students who committedwere suicidereferred to outside mental health services;  and the     total1[k.] (9)1 the number of students who attemptedwere referred to commitemergency suicidecare indue eachto semester;mental health concerns.

     The information required pursuant to this 1[section] subsection1 shall be recorded for each semester and shall be posted no more than 60 days following the end of each semester.  The information shall be posted on the institution’s Internet website in a prominent and easily accessible location.       2.1b.  Beginning with the first full academic year following the date of enactment of this act, a public institution of higher education shall report to the Secretary of Higher Education on:

require     that(1)   data on student suicides and student suicide attempts be reported by each public institution of higher education to the Secretary of Higher Education, who will provide the total numbersnumber of allstudents publicenrolled institutionsin of higher education combined to the Governorinstitution andwho thecommitted Legislature. suicide The secretary may authorize limited disclosure of this data for use in medical,the academic,previous oracademic policyyear; studies.

and      (2)   the total number of students enrolled in the institution who attempted to commit suicide in the previous academic year.

     The secretary shall report the total number of student suicides and student suicide attempts at all public institutions of higher education combined to the Governor, and to the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1).

The secretary may authorize limited disclosure of the data collected pursuant to this subsection for use in medical, academic, or policy studies.1        5.    This act shall take effect immediately.