Amends TCA Title 49.

This bill requires the department of education to direct each local board of education and public charter school governing body to develop a plan to conduct mental health screenings and behavioral health screenings on each student in kindergarten through grade eight during the 2022-2023 school year. The purpose of the screenings is to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on students' mental and behavioral health and any resulting learning loss experienced by students due to school closures. The screenings administered pursuant to this bill must be conducted in accordance with the present law requirements for universal mental health or socioemotional screening, and all other applicable laws. An LEA or charter school must notify a student's parent and obtain the parent's consent before the student participates in a screening conducted pursuant to this bill. The full text of this bill specifies information that must be included in the notice provided to students' parents. This bill requires local boards of education and charter school governing bodies to adopt policies to ensure implementation and enforcement of this bill. In order to provide adequate staffing and resources to effectuate the purposes of this bill, this bill requires that the BEP formula include: (1) An amount of money sufficient to fund one full-time school psychologist position for each 2,500 or fewer students; and (2) An amount of money sufficient to fund one full-time school social worker position for each 2,000 or fewer students. This bill authorizes the state board of education to promulgate rules to effectuate the purposes of this bill. This bill expresses the intent of the general assembly that any available federal funding provided to the state through the CARES Act be used to fund this bill.