SB116 Alabama 2020 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Andrew JonesSenator

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2020

Title

Mental health, schools, community mental health counselor, established, St. Bd of Edu., Bd of Trustees of the Alabama Community College System, and Alabama Commission on Higher Education required to adopt rules pertaining to qualifications for individual wishing to be a community mental health counselor

Summary

SB 116 would create a new role called a community mental health counselor to provide counseling and related services in Alabama schools and colleges, with rules and liability protections for counselors and sponsoring nonprofits.

What This Bill Does

It creates the position of community mental health counselor to provide counseling, support programs, or similar services to K-12 schools and public colleges and universities. It requires the State Board of Education, the Alabama Community College System Board of Trustees, and the Alabama Commission on Higher Education to work with the Department of Mental Health to adopt rules setting qualifications for these counselors in their institutions. It provides qualified immunity for counselors and for nonprofit organizations that sponsor them, protecting them from civil liability for duties performed, except in cases of unreasonable, intentional, willful, or wanton misconduct. It allows educational institutions to use the services of these counselors to the extent allowed by the rules and requires nonprofit sponsors to provide application templates.

Who It Affects

• Educational institutions (K-12 schools, public community colleges, and public higher education institutions) would be able to use or host community mental health counselors under the new rules.
• Nonprofit organizations that sponsor the counselors, and the counselors themselves, would be affected by liability protections and the sponsorship process.

Key Provisions

• Defines 'community mental health counselor' as a person who volunteers for or is paid by a nonprofit to provide counseling, support programs, or similar services to educational institutions.
• Public schools and colleges may use the services of these counselors to the extent permitted by the new rules.
• Boards (SBE, ACCS Board, CHE), in collaboration with the Department of Mental Health, must adopt rules for operating these counselors in K-12 schools, community/technical colleges, and public higher education.
• Boards must design and provide application templates for nonprofit organizations wishing to sponsor these counselors in each education setting.
• Counselors and sponsoring nonprofit organizations have qualified civil immunity from damages for work-related duties, except for acts of gross misconduct.
• The act does not establish licensure requirements for counselors.
• Effective date: the act becomes law on the first day of the third month after passage.
• The legislature expects constitutionally created boards to comply with these requirements.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 23, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Mental Health