Bill Text: CA AB2639 | 2017-2018 | Regular Session | Introduced

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Pupil suicide prevention policies: reviews: updates.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 4-0)

Status: (Passed) 2018-09-17 - Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 437, Statutes of 2018. [AB2639 Detail]

Download: California-2017-AB2639-Introduced.html

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CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2017–2018 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill

No. 2639

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Introduced by Assembly Members Berman and O’Donnell

February 15, 2018

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An act to add Section 216 to the Education Code, relating to pupil health.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 2639, as introduced, Berman. Pupil suicide prevention policies: evidence-based online training.

Existing law requires the governing board or body of a local educational agency that serves pupils in grades 7 to 12, inclusive, to, before the beginning of the 2017–18 school year, adopt a policy on pupil suicide prevention, as specified, that specifically addresses the needs of high-risk groups. Existing law requires the policy to address any training to be provided to teachers of pupils in grades 7 to 12, inclusive, on suicide awareness and prevention.

This bill would require the State Department of Education to identify one or more evidence-based online training programs that a local educational agency, as defined, can use to train school staff and pupils as part of the local educational agency’s policy on pupil suicide prevention. The bill would require the department to provide a grant to a county office of education to acquire and disseminate a training program identified by the department to local educational agencies at no cost. The bill would make its requirements contingent on funds being appropriated in the annual Budget Act or another statute for its purposes.

Digest Key

Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: NO  

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Bill Text

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

 (a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(1) According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, after a period of nearly consistent decline in suicide rates in the United States from 1986 to 1999, inclusive, suicide rates have increased almost steadily from 1999 to 2014, inclusive, with especially steep increases from 2006 to 2014, inclusive.

(2) The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also reports that suicide among adolescents and young adults is increasing, and is now the second leading cause of death for youth and young adults 10 to 24 years of age, inclusive.

(3) As children and teens spend a significant amount of their young lives in school, the personnel who interact with them on a daily basis are in a prime position to recognize the warning signs of suicide and make the appropriate referrals for help.

(4) In a national survey conducted by the Jason Foundation, pupils reported that the number one person they would turn to for helping a friend who might be suicidal was a teacher.

(5) It is imperative that when a young person comes to school staff for help, that person has the knowledge, tools, and resources to respond.

(6) However, research on teacher and school staff preparedness has identified a lack of experience, training, and confidence to appropriately address mental health issues and suicide ideation among pupils.

(7) The National Strategy for Suicide Prevention, authored by the United States Surgeon General and the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention, states that teachers and school counselors, among others who are on the front lines of suicide prevention, should be trained on suicide prevention.

(8) In 2016, AB 2246 (Chapter 642 of the Statutes of 2016) was enacted, requiring that each county office of education, school district, state special school, and charter school that serves pupils in grades 7 to 12, inclusive, adopt a suicide prevention policy before the beginning of the 2017–18 school year. That law also requires that these policies address any training to be provided to teachers on suicide awareness and prevention.

(b) It is the intent of the Legislature that, in order to support local educational agencies’ plans to train their employees on suicide awareness and prevention, the state provide local educational agencies access to evidence-based training in suicide awareness and prevention, in a cost-effective and flexible manner.

SEC. 2.

 Section 216 is added to the Education Code, to read:

216.

 (a) The department shall identify one or more evidence-based online training programs that a local educational agency can use to train school staff and pupils as part of the local educational agency’s policy on pupil suicide prevention adopted pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 215.

(b) In identifying an online training program pursuant to subdivision (a), the department shall ensure all of the following:

(1) The training program is evidence-based.

(2) The training program is consistent with the model pupil suicide prevention policy developed by the department pursuant to paragraph (5) of subdivision (a) of Section 215.

(3) The training program addresses the needs of high-risk groups as specified in paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) of Section 215.

(4) The training program can track aggregate, statewide usage.

(5) The training program can assess trainee knowledge before and after training is provided in order to measure training outcomes.

(c) (1) The department shall, subject to funds being appropriated in the annual Budget Act or another statute for this purpose, provide a grant to a county office of education, upon application by the county office of education, for the county office of education to acquire and disseminate a training program identified by the department pursuant to subdivision (a) to local educational agencies.

(2) The county office of education shall make the training program available to local educational agencies at no cost.

(3) A local educational agency is not required to use the training program and may use the training program on a voluntary basis.

(d) For purposes of this section, “local educational agency” means a county office of education, school district, state special school, or charter school that serves pupils in grades 7 to 12, inclusive.

(e) The requirements of this section are contingent on funds being appropriated in the annual Budget Act or another statute for its purposes.