Better Options for Kids Act of 2014 2014-06-25 Introduced in Senate Better Options for Kids Act of 2014 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, in awarding priority mental health needs grants to programs for youth involved in, or at risk of becoming involved in, the criminal justice system, to give preference to states that: (1) demonstrate greater educational continuity, lower rates of juvenile court involvement, and reduced recidivism through implementation of certain evidence-based policies; (2) demonstrate partnerships through which the state will establish a coordinated process for service delivery and develop the ability to share information and which involve interagency agreements or strategic plans; and (3) have certified a commitment to such partnerships and to the state's responsibility for the desired results. Terminates such grant preference five years after enactment of this Act.

Requires a state, to receive such preference, to demonstrate that it has implemented, or will use grant funds to implement, evidence-based policies under which the state:

  • provides or funds training for local educational agencies (LEAs) in the use of discipline and positive school climate strategies that minimize the use of suspensions, expulsions, and other actions that remove students from instruction and that show evidence of effectiveness for improving the learning environment;
  • requires or provides incentives to LEAs to execute with any law enforcement agency that assigns officers to schools a collaborative agreement that prohibits the involvement of such officers in regular student disciplinary matters and describes their roles and responsibilities;
  • prohibits or limits court referrals for juvenile school-based status offenses;
  • has shifted, or has a plan to shift, significant funding formerly dedicated to secure detention of minors into community-based alternatives to incarceration; and
  • has adopted, or will adopt, a reentry policy to ensure that youth in correctional facilities can continue their education immediately and without delay upon release by providing for prompt re-enrollment.
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