Bill Text: NY S08304 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Relates to mandatory continuing education for teachers relating to mental health issues and trauma informed care.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-05-08 - REFERRED TO EDUCATION [S08304 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-S08304-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          8304

                    IN SENATE

                                       May 8, 2020
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  Sen.  FELDER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
          printed to be committed to the Committee on Education

        AN ACT to amend the  mental  hygiene  law  and  the  education  law,  in
          relation  to  mandatory  continuing education for teachers relating to
          mental health issues and trauma informed care

          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section 1. Section 7.23 of the mental hygiene law is amended by adding
     2  a new subdivision (d) to read as follows:
     3    (d)  The  commissioner,  in consultation with the department of health
     4  and the commissioner of  the  department  of  education,  shall  develop
     5  course materials to be offered as part of the required continuing teach-
     6  er and leader education requirements pursuant to paragraph a of subdivi-
     7  sion  two  of  section  three thousand six-a of the education law.  Such
     8  training shall include, but not be limited to:
     9    1. continuing education courses;
    10    2. programs and activities related to mental health;
    11    3. trauma informed care, intervention and practices;
    12    4. adverse childhood experiences and social emotional learning;
    13    5. behavioral health disorders;
    14    6. best practices for improving the overall learning environment;
    15    7. safe de-escalation of crisis situations;
    16    8. identifying signs and symptoms, including early  stages  of  mental
    17  illness and behavioral health issues; and
    18    9.  the  use  of  evidence  based training programs including, but not
    19  limited to, mental health first aid or core elements of such programs to
    20  the extent practicable.
    21    § 2. Paragraph a of subdivision 2 of section 3006-a of  the  education
    22  law,  as added by section 2 of subpart C of part EE of chapter 56 of the
    23  laws of 2015, is amended to read as follows:
    24    a. During each five-year registration period  beginning  on  or  after
    25  July  first,  two  thousand sixteen, an applicant for registration shall
    26  successfully complete a minimum  of  one  hundred  hours  of  continuing
    27  teacher  and  leader  education,  as defined by the commissioner.   Such

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD16261-02-0
        S. 8304                             2

     1  continuing teacher and leader education  shall  include,  at  least  ten
     2  hours  during  the  five-year registration period, but not be limited to
     3  continuing education courses, programs and activities related to  mental
     4  illness  and trauma informed care pursuant to subdivision (d) of section
     5  7.23 of the mental hygiene law.  The  department  shall  issue  rigorous
     6  standards for courses, programs, and activities[,] that shall qualify as
     7  continuing  teacher  and  leader education pursuant to this section. For
     8  purposes of this section, a peer review teacher, or a  principal  acting
     9  as  an independent trained evaluator, conducting a classroom observation
    10  as part of the teacher evaluation system pursuant to section three thou-
    11  sand twelve-d of this article may credit such time towards  his  or  her
    12  continuing teacher and leader effectiveness requirements.
    13    §  3.  The  commissioner  of education is authorized to promulgate any
    14  rules and regulations necessary to carry out the provisions of this act.
    15    § 4. This act shall take effect on the first of January next  succeed-
    16  ing the date on which it shall have become a law.  Effective immediately
    17  the  addition,  amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation neces-
    18  sary for the implementation of  this  act  on  its  effective  date  are
    19  authorized to be made and completed on or before such date.