Budget Amendment ID: FY2019-S4-443

EHS 443

Substance Use Prevention, Education, and Screening Trust Fund

Messrs. O'Connor, Tarr, Humason, Moore, Timilty and Ross and Ms. L'Italien moved that the proposed new text be amended in section 2, by inserting after item 1450-1200 the following item:-

“1595-0025 For the support of the Substance Use Prevention, Education, and Screening Trust Fund, established pursuant to section 35EEE of chapter 10 of the General Laws………….$5,000,000”;

and further moves to amend the bill by inserting after section 4 the following section:-

“SECTION 4A.   Chapter 10 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 35DDD the following section:-

Section 35EEE. There shall be established and set up on the books of the commonwealth a Substance Use Prevention, Education, and Screening Trust Fund for the purpose of supporting school-based programs that educate children and young persons on addiction, substance misuse and other risky behaviors, and that identify and support children and young persons at risk of alcohol or substance misuse. The fund shall be administered by the secretary of education, in consultation with the secretary of health and human services, who shall use the fund to provide grants (i) to public elementary, middle and secondary schools and to public colleges and universities to support the expansion of educational and intervention programs meeting the purposes of the fund; and (ii) to the department of public health to support schools in implementing evidence based substance use prevention programs, early detection protocols and policies, risk assessment tools, or counseling in the school setting. Grants from the fund may be made to schools for the purposes specified in subsection (f) of section 1P of chapter 69 where consistent with the purposes of the fund. The secretary of education may use the fund for necessary and reasonable administrative and personnel costs related to administering the grants. Such expenditures may not exceed, in one fiscal year, 5 per cent of the total amount deposited into the fund during that fiscal year.

The fund shall consist of revenue from appropriations or other money authorized by the general court and specifically designated to be credited to the fund, and revenue from private sources including, but not limited to, grants, gifts and donations received by the commonwealth that are specifically designated to be credited to the fund. Amounts credited to the fund shall not be subject to further appropriation and any money remaining in the fund at the end of a fiscal year shall not revert to the General Fund and shall be available for expenditure in subsequent fiscal years.”