Bill Summary for H 434 (2019-2020)

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Summary date: 

Mar 21 2019

Bill Information:

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.

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Bill 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.