SUICIDE RISK REF./MENTAL HEALTH/TEEN VIOLENCE.

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View NCGA Bill Details2019-2020 Session
House Bill 434 (Public) Filed Thursday, March 21, 2019
AN ACT TO REQUIRE LOCAL BOARDS OF EDUCATION, CHARTER SCHOOLS, REGIONAL SCHOOLS, INNOVATIVE SCHOOLS, LABORATORY SCHOOLS, AND THE RENEWAL SCHOOL SYSTEM TO ADOPT AND IMPLEMENT A SUICIDE RISK REFERRAL PROTOCOL, A MENTAL HEALTH TRAINING PROGRAM, AND A POLICY AGAINST TEEN DATING VIOLENCE AND ABUSE.
Intro. by Horn, Cunningham, Murphy, White.

Status: Ref To Com On Rules and Operations of the Senate (Senate action) (Apr 29 2019)

SOG comments (1):

Long title change

House committee substitute to the 1st edition changed the long title. Original long title was AN ACT TO REQUIRE LOCAL BOARDS OF EDUCATION TO ADOPT AND IMPLEMENT A SUICIDE RISK REFERRAL PROTOCOL AND A POLICY AGAINST TEEN DATING VIOLENCE AND ABUSE AND TO ENCOURAGE LOCAL BOARDS OF EDUCATION TO ADOPT AND IMPLEMENT A MENTAL HEALTH TRAINING PROGRAM.

H 434

Bill Summaries:

  • Summary date: Apr 16 2019 - View Summary

    House committee substitute to the 2nd edition makes the following changes.

    Deletes proposed Section 6(d)(2)p. and q. of SL 2018-32 (regarding renewal school systems), which required each system to adopt and implement a suicide risk referral protocol and a mental health training program, and a policy against teen dating violence. Makes conforming changes.

    Makes clarifying changes to subsections (d) and (e) of proposed GS 115C-375.11 to specifically refer to adoption of a suicide risk referral protocol and mental health training program.


  • Summary date: Apr 3 2019 - View Summary

    House committee substitute to the 1st edition makes the following changes.

    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. 

    Modifies new GS 115C-375.11. Retitles the statute. Removes from the statute the deadline of July 1, 2020, for local boards of education to adopt and implement a suicide risk referral protocol for school personnel working with students in grades K-12. Clarifies that the specific requirements of the protocol are minimum requirements, and clarifies that the protocol must inform school personnel on how to identify and intervene in appropriate situations. Now requires rather than encourages local boards of education to implement a mental health training program for school personnel working with students in grades K-12. Removes from the statute the requirement for the training program to meet the minimum requirements for a mental health training program developed by the Superintendent of Public Instruction's Working Group on Health and Well-Being. Expands the immunity from civil liability provided to cover any entity required to adopt a policy by the statutes and session laws amended by Section 1 of the act. 

    Adds that each entity required to adopt and implement a suicide risk referral protocol and mental health training program must do so by July 1, 2020, and requires satisfaction of the requirements developed by the Superintendent of Public Instruction's Working Group on Health and Well-Being under Section 5 of SL 2018-32. Requires the Superintendent to ensure that a copy of the requirements be made available to each entity by October 1, 2019.

    Deletes proposed Article 29D, Student Dating Violence and Abuse Prevention in GS Chapter 115C. Instead, 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), GS 116-239.8(b)(18) (regarding laboratory schools), and Section 6(d)(2)q. of SL 2018-32 (regarding renewal school systems) 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, laboratory schools and renewal school systems 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. 


  • Summary date: Mar 21 2019 - View Summary

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

    Enacts new GS 115C-375.11 requiring local boards of education, 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 meet the minimum requirements for a suicide risk referral protocol developed by the Superintendent's Working Group on Health and Well-Being including requirements to: (1) inform school personnel of suicide risk referral procedures, including the  provision of training; (2) establish crisis teams; and (3) identify and intervene in appropriate situations. Encourages local boards of education to implement a mental health training program for school personnel working with students in grades K-12. The training program is required to meet the minimum requirements for a mental health training program developed by the Superintendent's Working Group on Health and Well-Being and 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. Provides liability from civil immunity to local boards of education, 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.

    Enacts new Article 29D, Student Dating Violence and Abuse Prevention in GS Chapter 115C. Requires local boards of education, by July 1, 2020, to adopt and implement a dating violence and abuse policy that meets the four specified requirements, including prohibiting dating violence and abuse by any student on school property during a school-sponsored activity or during school-sponsored transportation, and providing procedures for responding to such incidents of dating violence or abuse.