Pupil health: school-based health services and school-based mental health services.

Assembly Member Ward's legislation expands California's school health services framework to include county offices of education and charter schools alongside traditional school districts. The Department of Education would provide these institutions with guidance on establishing health screening programs and implementing "Health Days" - coordinated events where school nurses and healthcare volunteers conduct medical screenings and share preventive health information with students and parents.

The bill directs the Department to encourage all local educational agencies to participate in existing reimbursement programs for school-based health and mental health services. These include the Medi-Cal Billing Option Program and the statewide fee schedule for school-linked outpatient mental health and substance use disorder treatment. Under the legislation, county offices of education and charter schools would gain access to the same Department assistance currently available to school districts for coordinating with local health professionals, medical schools, nursing programs, and voluntary health organizations.

By redefining "local educational agency" to encompass county offices of education and charter schools, the measure enables these institutions to receive Department support in monitoring student health and implementing screening programs. The bill maintains the existing framework of voluntary participation while extending access to reimbursement mechanisms that can help sustain school-based health services across California's diverse educational settings.