Requires the commissioner of education to adopt rules to require that all public school personnel receive at least two hours of suicide awareness and prevention training each year and each public school district to adopt a policy on student suicide prevention.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
1613
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 17, 2023
___________
Introduced by M. of A. HUNTER -- read once and referred to the Committee
on Education
AN ACT amend the education law, in relation to requiring student suicide
prevention training and policies in public school districts
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new section 3209-b
2 to read as follows:
3 § 3209-b. Student suicide prevention. 1. The commissioner shall adopt
4 rules to require that all public school personnel receive at least two
5 hours of suicide awareness and prevention training each year beginning
6 in the two thousand twenty-four--two thousand twenty-five school year.
7 Such training shall be provided within the framework of existing in-ser-
8 vice training programs offered by the department or as part of required
9 professional development activities.
10 2. The department shall, in consultation with the office of mental
11 health and the council on children and families, develop a list of
12 approved training materials to fulfill the requirements of this section.
13 Approved materials shall include training on how to identify appropriate
14 mental health services both within the school and also within the larger
15 community, and when and how to refer youth and their families to such
16 services. Approved materials may additionally include programs that can
17 be completed through self-review of suitable suicide prevention materi-
18 als.
19 3. a. Each public school district shall adopt a policy on student
20 suicide prevention. Such policies shall be developed in consultation
21 with school and community stakeholders, school employed mental health
22 professionals, and suicide prevention experts, and shall, at a minimum,
23 address procedures relating to suicide prevention, intervention, and
24 postvention.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD05722-01-3
A. 1613 2
1 b. The department shall develop and maintain a model policy to assist
2 school districts in developing policies for student suicide prevention
3 pursuant to paragraph a of this subdivision.
4 4. a. No person shall have a cause of action for any loss or damage
5 caused by any act or omission resulting from the implementation of the
6 provisions of this section or resulting from any training, or lack ther-
7 eof, required by this section.
8 b. The training, or lack thereof, required by the provisions of this
9 section shall not be construed to impose any specific duty of care.
10 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
