Bill > H555

This bill aims to address suicide prevention in schools. It requires the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to adopt rules that mandate school healthcare providers and educators to receive at least 2 hours of evidence-based in-service suicide awareness and prevention training once every other year. The department, in consultation with other state agencies and suicide prevention experts, will develop a list of approved training materials that must be evidence-based and demonstrated to be effective or promising programs. Additionally, the bill requires schools to have at least one mental health professional for every 400 students generally accessible on campus during school hours by December 31, 2022.