Title 40. Public Health and Safety

Chapter 1. Division of Health and Health Officers

Part III. Miscellaneous Provisions

40:31.3      Adolescent school health initiative; health centers in schools

A. The office of public health, Louisiana Department of Health, shall establish an adolescent school health initiative to facilitate and encourage development of comprehensive health centers in public middle and secondary schools in Louisiana which shall provide preventive health services, counseling, acute health services, and appropriate referral for acute health services. Such initiative shall be subject to the approval of the local school systems. 

B. The office of public health shall: 

(1) Coordinate efforts to facilitate and encourage establishment of health centers in schools by providing information, technical assistance, direction, and, to the extent appropriate, funds to locally based entities for the establishment and operation of health centers in middle and secondary schools. 

(2) Convene and participate in an intergovernmental coordinating council which shall be composed of representatives from the departments of education, children and family services, health, and other governmental entities or programs related to health services to assist in implementation, oversight, and funding assistance for health centers in schools. 

(3) Apply for and assist local efforts to apply for all available public and private funds to establish and operate health centers in schools. 

(4) Establish procedures for allocation of funds appropriated or otherwise available to the program in a manner which prioritizes funding according to the urgency and degree of healthcare needs among the various middle and secondary school populations. 

(5) Establish criteria to be considered in selection of locations for placement of health centers in schools. 

(6) Require that centers be registered with the office of public health. 

C. Health centers in schools are prohibited from: 

(1) Counseling or advocating abortion in any way or referring any student to any organization for counseling or advocating abortion. 

(2) Distributing at any public school any contraceptive or abortifacient drug, device, or other similar product. 

D. The provisions of this Section shall be applicable only to the extent that funds are made available for this purpose from public or private sources. 

Added by Acts 1991, No. 1055, § 1, eff. July 29, 1991. Amended by Acts 2018, No. 206, § 4; Acts 2023, No. 318, § 2.