A House committee advanced two bills dealing with drug court programs and providing mental health and counseling services.
The committee considered Senate Bill 62, which requires participation in drug court programs before discharge of certain first time drug offenses.
The purpose of this bill is to permit a court to require the additional requirement of participation in a drug court program, or drug treatment program before a conditional discharge for first offense possession of controlled opiates or opioids may be granted.
The bill now heads before the House Judiciary Committee.
The committee also advanced House Bill 2397, which requires county school boards to provide adequate mental health and counseling services.
This bill requires the county school boards to provide adequate mental health and counseling services in the form of the employment of a psychologist or psychiatrist to pupils to address issues stemming from drug abuse.
This bill would require each county to employ full time at least one school psychologist for every 1,000 kindergarten through seventh grade students in net enrollment or major faction thereof or a psychiatrist. Currently, there are 129 school psychologists in West Virginia.
The committee unanimously adopted an amendment to change the number of students from 1,000 to 500, consenting West Virginia’s children need lawmakers help and support. The bill now heads before the House Education Committee.
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