SESSION WATCH
Died SENATE · SESSION 2026

No. SB 1302

Pediatric Behavioral and Mental Health Screenings
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SPONSOR
Rouson
FILED BY
Darryl Ervin Rouson — District 16, Democrat
EFFECTIVE
7/1/2026
DIED IN
Health Policy

Filed under Healthcare.

PROVIDED SUMMARY

Pediatric Behavioral and Mental Health Screenings; Requiring the Agency for Health Care Administration to adopt rules establishing certain practice parameters and protocols for early periodic screening, diagnostic, and treatment services for pediatric behavioral and mental health screenings; requiring health care providers to provide a parent or legal guardian information on sleep, screen time, and nutrition; requiring the Department of Health to develop and make such information available for download by health care providers, etc.

Full bill text →

Plain English Summary

AI-GENERATED
Sets new pediatric mental health screening rules for Medicaid plans.

Requires the Agency for Health Care Administration to write rules governing how Medicaid managed care plans screen, diagnose, and treat behavioral and mental health issues in patients from birth through age 21.

Those rules must require validated, trauma-informed screening tools, let providers refer patients to mobile crisis teams and community mental health centers, and encourage parents to join parenting or mental health support programs.

Providers must also give parents state-created information on sleep, screen time, and nutrition, materials the Department of Health has to produce and make downloadable to providers.

Starting in 2027 the agency must track performance measures and outcome data, then report results to the Governor and legislative leaders every year beginning in 2028.

KEY PROVISIONS
§ 1 Medicaid managed care plans must follow the new protocols majors. 409.9746(1)

AIAHCA's rules must require Medicaid managed care plans, not just individual providers, to actually deliver early screening, diagnostic, and treatment services consistent with the new practice parameters.

“requiring managed care plans to provide early periodic screening, diagnostic, and treatment services consistent with such practice parameters and protocols” bill text, line 31 →
§ 2 AHCA must set screening rules for kids birth to 21 majors. 409.9746(1)(a)

AIThe rules must require validated, age-appropriate, trauma-informed diagnostic tools based on nationally recognized clinical guidelines for screening participants from birth through age 21.

“The use of validated, age-appropriate, trauma-informed diagnostic tools based on nationally recognized clinical practice guidelines” bill text, line 35 →
§ 3 Providers authorized to use mobile crisis and community mental health teams moderates. 409.9746(1)(b)

AIThe rules must let a health care provider tap mobile response teams, community mental health centers, and behavioral health hubs for consultation, medication management support, and referrals.

“Authorizing a health care provider to use mobile response teams, community mental health centers, behavioral health hubs” bill text, line 40 →
§ 4 Rules must push parents toward mental health support programs moderates. 409.9746(1)(c)

AIThe practice parameters must encourage parents or guardians to participate in general parenting or specialized mental health education and support programs.

“Encouraging parents or legal guardians to participate in mental health programs that provide education and support” bill text, line 46 →
§ 5 Providers must hand out state materials on sleep, screens, nutrition moderates. 409.9746(1)(d)

AIHealth care providers must give parents or guardians Department of Health-created information on sleep, screen time, and nutrition, and the department must produce that content and post it for download.

“Requiring health care providers to give parents or legal guardians information created by the Department of Health about sleep, screen time, and nutrition” bill text, line 51 →
§ 6 Performance measures and public reporting required starting 2027 moderates. 409.9746(2)

AIBy January 1, 2027, AHCA must adopt performance measures and outcome-data reporting requirements for these services, then report results to the Governor and legislative leaders every year starting in 2028.

“the agency shall adopt performance measures related to early periodic screening, diagnostic, and treatment services and establish outcome data reporting requirements” bill text, line 56 →
TIMELINE
3/13/2026
Died in Health Policy
1/22/2026
Introduced
1/16/2026
Referred to Health Policy; Appropriations Committee on Health and...
1/7/2026
Filed
STATUTES IT CHANGES
s. 409.9746
+299 / −0