Bill Summary for S 476 (2019-2020)

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Summary date: 

Jul 10 2019

Bill Information:

View NCGA Bill Details2019-2020 Session
Senate Bill 476 (Public) Filed Tuesday, April 2, 2019
AN ACT TO REQUIRE THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION TO ADOPT A SCHOOL-BASED MENTAL HEALTH POLICY AND TO REQUIRE K-12 SCHOOL UNITS TO ADOPT AND TO IMPLEMENT A SCHOOL-BASED MENTAL HEALTH PLAN THAT INCLUDES A MENTAL HEALTH TRAINING PROGRAM AND A SUICIDE RISK REFERRAL PROTOCOL.
Intro. by Horner, Tillman, Ballard.

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Bill summary

House committee substitute to the 2nd edition makes the following changes. Deletes the content of the previous edition and replaces it with the following.

Part I.

Requires the State Board of Education to recommend steps necessary to transition to a competency-based assessment and teaching model for all elementary and secondary students. Sets out objectives that must be met by the transition steps. Requires a report to the specified NCGA committee by May 15, 2020.

Part II.

Enacts GS 115C-47(64) (regarding local boards of education), GS 115C-218.75(g) (regarding charter schools), GS 115C-238.66(14) (regarding regional schools), GS 116-239.8(b)(17) (regarding laboratory schools), and Section 6(d)(2)p. of SL 2018-32 (regarding renewal school systems) to require that each respective authority adopt and implement a suicide risk referral protocol and a mental health training program for school personnel who work directly with students in grades K-12, as required by GS 115C-375.11, as enacted. 

Changes the title of GS Chapter 115C, Article 25A, to Special Medical Needs and Mental Health Needs of Students.

Enacts new GS 115C-375.11 requiring public school units, by July 1, 2020, to adopt and implement a suicide risk referral protocol for school personnel working with students in grades K-12. Requires the protocol to: (1) inform school personnel of suicide risk referral procedures, including the  provision of training; (2) establish crisis teams; and (3) inform school personnel on how to identify and intervene in appropriate situations. Requires each public school unit to adopt and implement a mental health training program for school personnel working with students in grades K-12. The training program is required to address youth mental health, suicide prevention, substance abuse, sexual abuse prevention, and sex trafficking prevention. Requires periodic review and update of these protocols and training programs. Defines school personnel to mean teachers, instructional support personnel, principals, and assistant principals, and, in the discretion of the public school unit, other school employees who work directly with students in grades K through 12. Provides liability from civil immunity to public school units, its members, employees, designees, agents, or volunteers for loss or damage caused by an act or omission related to providing, participating in, or implementing any component of the suicide risk referral protocol or the mental health training program. 

Directs the State Board of Education to adopt a school-based model suicide risk referral protocol and model mental health training program to meet the requirements developed by the Superintendent's Working Group on Health and Well Being by December 1, 2020. Requires that the suicide risk referral protocols and mental health training programs be adopted and implemented by the public school units by July 1, 2021. Allows public school units to use the model suicide risk referral protocol and model mental health training program developed by the State Board of Education, modify the State Board of Education models, or develop their own models. 

Part III.

Enacts GS 115C-47(65) (concerning local boards of education), GS 115C-218.75(h) (concerning charter schools), GS 115C-238.66(15) (regarding regional schools), and GS 116-239.8(b)(18) (regarding laboratory schools) to require each entity to adopt and implement a dating violence and abuse policy that defines dating violence and abuse, prohibits dating violence and abuse by any student on school property, provides procedures for responding to incidents of dating violence or abuse, and is implemented in a manner that is integrated with the discipline policies of the school. Amends specified statutes to require each public school, charter school, regional school, and laboratory school to teach about dating violence and abuse, and specifically requires regional schools and laboratory schools to incorporate dating violence and abuse instruction into the school's reproductive health and safety program if it has one.

Requires each entity required to adopt and implement a policy against dating violence and abuse by July 1, 2020, and requires each entity required to provide instruction on dating violence and abuse to do so beginning with the 2020-21 school year. 

Part IV.

Effective when the act becomes law, unless otherwise provided.

Makes conforming changes to the act's titles.