(a) For the school year commencing July 1, 2022, and biennially thereafter, the Department of Public Health shall administer the Connecticut School Health Survey to students in grades nine to twelve, inclusive, provided the department receives funding from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for such purpose. The survey shall be based on the Youth Risk Behavior Survey developed by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The department shall provide guidelines to the local or regional board of education regarding the administration of the survey to those high schools selected at random by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Such local or regional board of education shall administer the survey to each high school selected to participate in the survey in accordance with the guidelines provided by the department, including, but not limited to, (1) the survey protocol as required by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, (2) the requirement to provide parents the opportunity to exclude their children from the survey by denying permission in writing, on a form prescribed by the department, (3) the requirement for the survey to be anonymous and administered in a manner designed to protect student privacy, (4) the timeframe for completion of the survey, and (5) the process by which the results of such survey are to be submitted to the department.

(b) The department, in consultation with the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, the Department of Children and Families, the Department of Education and any other agency or public interest group the department deems necessary, may develop additional survey questions to be included as part of the Connecticut School Health Survey that are relevant to the health concerns of high school students in the state.