Bill Text: VA HB1707 | 2023 | Regular Session | Prefiled
Bill Title: Public school students; self-identification as gender other than biological sex, parental contact.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 5-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2023-02-03 - Incorporated by Education [HB1707 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2023-HB1707-Prefiled.html
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That §22.1-272.1 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:
§22.1-272.1. Students; imminent risk of suicide; self-identification as gender other than biological sex; parental contact.
A. Any person licensed as administrative or instructional
personnel by the Board of Education and employed by a local school board who,
in the scope of his employment, has reason to believe, as a result of direct
communication from a student, that such student is at imminent risk of suicide, or
that such student is self-identifying as a gender that is
different than his biological sex
shall, as soon as practicable, contact at least one of such student's parents
to ask whether such parent is aware of the student's mental state and whether
the parent wishes to obtain or has already obtained counseling for such
student. Such contact shall be made in accordance with the provisions of the
guidelines required by subsection C.
B. If the a student for whom an individual set
forth in subsection A has reason to believe is
at imminent risk of suicide has indicated that the reason for
being at imminent risk of suicide relates to parental abuse or neglect, this contact shall not be made
with the parent pursuant to
subsection A. Instead, the person shall, as soon as
practicable, notify the local department of social services of the county or
city wherein the child resides or wherein the abuse or neglect is believed to
have occurred or the state Department of Social Services' toll-free child abuse
and neglect hotline, as required by §63.2-1509. When giving this notice to the
local or state department, the person shall stress the need to take immediate
action to protect the child from harm.
C. The Board of Education, in cooperation with the
Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services and the Department
of Health, shall develop guidelines for making the contact required by
subsection A. These guidelines shall include, but need not be limited to, (i)
criteria to assess the suicide risks of students, (ii) characteristics to
identify potentially suicidal students, (iii) appropriate responses to students
expressing suicidal intentions, (iv) available and appropriate community
services for students expressing suicidal intentions, (v) suicide prevention
strategies which that
may be implemented by local schools for students expressing suicidal
intentions, (vi) criteria to assess
whether students have begun to self-identify as a gender that is
different than their biological sex, (vii)
criteria for notification of and discussions with parents of students
expressing suicidal intentions or self-identifying as a
gender that is different than their biological sex, (vii) (viii)
criteria for as-soon-as-practicable contact with the parents, (viii) (ix) appropriate sensitivity
to religious beliefs, and (ix) (x) legal requirements and
criteria for notification of public service agencies, including, but not limited to, the local
or state social services and mental health agencies. These guidelines may
include case studies and problem-solving exercises and may be designed as
materials for in-service training programs for licensed administrative and
instructional personnel.
