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Bill > HB672

MS HB672

Behavioral Threat Assessment Program; require State Department of Education and Department of Mental Health to establish.

summary

Introduced
01/15/2025
In Committee
01/15/2025
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
02/04/2025

Introduced Session

2025 Regular Session

Bill Summary

An Act To Establish A Statewide Behavioral Threat Assessment Program Through Collaboration Between The State Department Of Education And The Mississippi Department Of Mental Health; To Provide For The Implementation Of Behavioral Threat Assessment Programs In Line With Evidence-based Models, Particularly The Comprehensive School Threat Assessment Guidelines (cstag) And Recommendation Of The United States Department Of Homeland Security; To Provide Training For School Personnel Via The Mississippi Office Of Homeland Security; To Require School Board To Provide For Threat Assessment Teams At Each School; To Require The Threat Assessment Teams To Identify Students Of Concern, Assessing Risks, And Implementing Interventions; To Require The Teams Be A Multidisciplinary Composition To Include Mental Health Professionals, Licensed Instructional Staff, Administrators, School Resource Officers And Designated School Safety Specialists; To Prescribe Procedures For Mental Health Services, Including The Use Of Mobile Crisis Teams And Law Enforcement Consultation When Needed; To Require School Districts To Collaborate With Local Law Enforcement Agencies For Reporting Threats And Defining The Role Of School Resource Officers In Handling Incidents; To Require School Districts To Adopt Parental Notification Policies That Also Ensure Compliance With The Family Educational Rights And Privacy Act; To Provide Protections For Employment And Confidentiality Of Threat Assessment Records; To Require The State Department Of Education To Develop Protocols For Documenting Threat Assessments And To Submit An Annual Legislative Report; To Amend Section 37-3-91, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Require The State Department Of Education To Partner With The Mississippi Department Of Mental Health And Mississippi Office Of Homeland Security To Provide Behavioral Threat Assessment Training; To Amend Section 37-3-93, Mississippi Code Of 1972, In Conformity Thereto; And For Related Purposes.

AI Summary

This bill establishes a comprehensive Behavioral Threat Assessment Program for Mississippi public schools, requiring the State Department of Education and Department of Mental Health to collaborate on creating and implementing evidence-based threat assessment guidelines. The program mandates that each school district create a multidisciplinary threat assessment team consisting of mental health professionals, educators, administrators, and law enforcement personnel, whose primary responsibilities include identifying students of concern, assessing potential risks, developing intervention strategies, and coordinating mental health services. The bill requires school districts to develop agreements with local law enforcement for reporting threats, establish parental notification policies that comply with federal privacy laws (FERPA), and create protocols for engaging crisis resources when mental health or safety concerns arise. Schools must train personnel through the Mississippi Office of Homeland Security, document threat assessment activities, and submit annual reports to the Legislature, with the goal of enhancing school safety by proactively identifying and addressing potential behavioral risks. The program will be implemented statewide beginning in the 2025-2026 school year, using the Comprehensive School Threat Assessment Guidelines (CSTAG) as a primary model, and includes provisions to protect employee rights and maintain the confidentiality of threat assessment records.

Committee Categories

Health and Social Services

Sponsors (1)

Last Action

Died In Committee (on 02/04/2025)

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