(1) From the state school aid fund money appropriated in section 11, there is allocated $310,000,000.00 for 2023-2024 only and from the general fund money appropriated in section 11, there is allocated $18,000,000.00 for 2023-2024 only to provide payments to districts, intermediate districts, nonpublic schools, and the Michigan Schools for the Deaf and Blind, for activities to improve student mental health and improve student safety. It is the intent of the legislature that recipients will use at least 50% of the funds on activities related to improving student mental health. The allowable expenditures of funds under this section include, but are not limited to, the following:

    (a) Hiring or contracting for support staff for student mental health needs, including, but not limited to, school psychologists, social workers, counselors, and school nurses.

    (b) Purchasing and implementing mental health screening tools.

    (c) Providing school-based mental health personnel access to consultation with behavioral health clinicians to respond to complex student mental health needs.

    (d) Any other mental health service or product necessary to improve or maintain the mental health of students and staff.

    (e) Coordination with local law enforcement.

    (f) Training for school staff on threat assessment.

    (g) Training for school staff and students on threat response.

    (h) Training for school staff on crisis communication.

    (i) Safety infrastructure, including, but not limited to, cameras, door blocks, hardened vestibules, window screening, and technology necessary to operate buzzer systems. This may also include firearm detection software that integrates to existing security cameras to detect and alert school personnel and first responders to visible firearms on school property. The software described in the immediately preceding sentence must be organically developed and proprietary to the company it is purchased from and should not include any third-party or open-source data.

    (j) Age-appropriate training for students and families on responsible gun ownership.

    (k) School resource officers.

    (l) Any other school safety service or product necessary to improve or maintain security in buildings.

    (m) Student Safety Management System, the information technology platform and related services to improve student safety by mitigating cyberbullying, school violence, human trafficking, and self-harm that supports students from grades K to 12.

    (n) A secure platform, administered by the department of state police, for school officials, emergency responders, and emergency management coordinators to house all school safety-related items, including, but not limited to, EOP templates, EOP guidance, reference documents, and security assessments. The platform should use existing password-protected access control methods schools currently utilize and, to the extent possible, be capable of integrating with existing platforms or technologies used by districts for school safety. Through permissions-based access control, the platform should be able to relay information clearly and in real time to each person or entity necessary to provide a unified response to a safety incident, or to take appropriate action in response to an anticipated disruption to the normal functions of the surrounding community.

    (2) From the state school aid fund money allocated in subsection (1), the department shall make payments to districts and intermediate districts in an equal amount per pupil based on the total number of pupils in membership in each district. From the general fund money allocated in subsection (1), the department shall make payments to nonpublic schools in an equal amount per pupil, using pupil counts determined by the department. The department shall ensure that the amount per pupil paid to nonpublic schools does not exceed the amount per pupil paid to districts and intermediate districts.

    (3) If funding remains after the distribution of funds as described in subsection (2), the department may provide additional per-pupil allocations to allocate remaining dollars, using for those calculations the same requirements described in subsection (2).

    (4) Except as otherwise provided in this section, to receive funding under this section, districts, intermediate districts, and nonpublic schools must apply for funding under this section in a form and manner prescribed by the department. In its application described in this subsection, a district, intermediate district, or nonpublic school, as applicable, shall document how it or, if an intermediate district is applying on behalf of a constituent district, its constituent district, will use community input to guide the expenditure of the funds it or the constituent district will receive under this section and it shall pledge to host, or shall pledge on behalf of its constituent district that the constituent district will host, at least 1 community conversation about student mental health and school safety. With consent of its constituent districts, an intermediate district may apply for funding under this section on behalf of its constituent districts. As used in this section, “constituent district” means that term as defined in section 3 of the revised school code, MCL 380.3.

    (5) Districts receiving funds under this section must coordinate with intermediate school districts to avoid duplication of services and to streamline delivery of services to students.

    (6) Notwithstanding section 17b, the department shall make payments under this section on a schedule determined by the department.