Senate committee advances bill to expand school‑linked mental health services and mobile crisis teams

Senator Wiklendt introduced Senate File 45‑31 on March 27 before the Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Committee, saying the bill would expand school‑linked mental health services, launch family peer specialists and increase mobile crisis capacity statewide, including Greater Minnesota. "This bill invests in some of the most effective mental health services in community life," he said, describing grants for school‑embedded services, family peer specialists, mobile crisis response teams and a grant to help health care professionals cope with traumatic events.

Jenny Palin, executive director of the Minnesota Association of Community Mental Health Programs, told the committee the grants themselves "go to our community based providers, and then they work with all of the schools across their service areas to ensure that the services get to where they need to go." Palin said community providers co‑locate services in multiple districts rather than the grants going directly to individual buildings or districts.

Committee members asked whether charter and nonpublic schools would be served. Senator Holmstrom pressed for clarity on whether the funds would reach students in charter and nonpublic schools; Palin said eligibility and practice "will vary across the state" because community providers’ capacity and existing contractual relationships determine which schools can be served. Senator Seaburger and others emphasized the role of mobile crisis units in de‑escalation and supporting students with acute needs.

Several members also questioned why the bill was heard in Judiciary and Public Safety rather than Health or Education. Senator Wiklendt said the measure is part of a package addressing traumatic community experiences, including gun violence, and was routed to this committee so members could consider the full bill.

After the discussion, Senator Pappas moved that Senate File 45‑31 be recommended to pass and sent to the Committee on Finance; the chair put the question and the motion prevailed, sending the bill to finance for the budgetary review.

Next steps: the bill was referred to Senate Finance for consideration of appropriations and implementation details.