An Act to Improve Behavioral Health Support for Students in Public Schools
Maine Legislature, Session 131, LD 0829
Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs
Sponsors: CRAFTS, COPELAND, DOUDERA, GRAHAM, MURPHY, SARGENT, WARREN, WHITE, WILLIAMS
Amends: 20-A MRSA §4008-A, 20-A MRSA §4015, 20-A MRSA §15672, 20-A MRSA §15679

Legislative Document
No. 829
H.P. 518
House of Representatives, February 21, 2023
An Act to Improve Behavioral Health Support for Students in 
Public Schools
Reference to the Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs suggested and ordered 
printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative CRAFTS of Newcastle.
Cosponsored by Representatives: COPELAND of Saco, DOUDERA of Camden, GRAHAM of 
North Yarmouth, MURPHY of Scarborough, SARGENT of York, WARREN of Scarborough, 
WHITE of Waterville, WILLIAMS of Bar Harbor.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  20-A MRSA §4008-A, sub-§2, as enacted by PL 2019, c. 45, §1, is 
amended to read:
2.  Direct School counselor direct and indirect services to students.  Each school 
counselor and school social worker shall spend at least 80% of the school counselor's or 
school social worker's time providing direct services to and indirect services on behalf of 
students.
Sec. 2.  20-A MRSA §4008-A, sub-§2-A is enacted to read:
2-A.  School social worker direct services to students.  Each school social worker 
shall spend at least 80% of the school social worker's time providing direct services to 
students.
Sec. 3.  20-A MRSA §4015 is enacted to read:
§4015.  Board-certified assistant behavior analyst training
School administrative units shall employ an educator at each school in the school 
administrative unit who has completed a national board-certified assistant behavior analyst 
training. The State shall pay all costs associated with the training and shall provide an 
annual stipend of $3,000 for up to 3 years to the educator who has completed the training.
Sec. 4.  20-A MRSA §15672, sub-§11, as amended by PL 2005, c. 2, Pt. D, §36 
and affected by §§72 and 74 and c. 12, Pt. WW, §18, is further amended to read:
11.  Guidance staff.  "Guidance staff" means full-time equivalent public guidance 
counselors, or directors of guidance or school social workers counselors, as documented in 
the department's database.
Sec. 5.  20-A MRSA §15679, sub-§2, ¶A, as amended by PL 2017, c. 284, Pt. C, 
§33, is further amended by amending subparagraph (2) to read:
(2)  The student-to-guidance staff ratio is 350:1 250:1;
Sec. 6.  20-A MRSA §15679, sub-§2, ¶A, as amended by PL 2017, c. 284, Pt. C, 
§33, is further amended by enacting a new subparagraph (2-A) to read:
(2-A)  The student-to-school social worker ratio is 250:1;
Sec. 7.  20-A MRSA §15679, sub-§2, ¶B, as amended by PL 2017, c. 284, Pt. C, 
§33, is further amended by enacting a new subparagraph (2-A) to read:
(2-A)  The student-to-school social worker ratio is 250:1;
SUMMARY
This bill does the following.
1. It requires that school social workers spend at least 80% of their time providing 
direct services to students.
2. It requires school administrative units to employ an educator at each school in the 
school administrative unit who has completed a national board-certified assistant behavior 
analyst training and provides that the State must pay all costs associated with the training 
and provide an annual stipend of $3,000 for up to 3 years for each educator who completes 
the training.
3. It provides that for the purpose of the calculation of salary and benefit costs in the 
school funding formula, the elementary school and middle school level student-to-guidance 
staff ratio is decreased to 250:1. It also adds a student-to-school social worker ratio of 250:1 
for the elementary school, middle school and high school levels.