Bill > A5391

Introduced Session

This bill stipulates that beginning with the 2027-2028 school year, all candidates for teaching certification who have completed an educator preparation program at a Commissioner of Education approved educator preparation program provider are to have satisfactorily completed a course or training on youth mental health education. The bill requires all commissioner-approved educator preparation programs to review and update their educator preparation programs to implement the requirements of the bill and submit the revisions to the Department of Education for approval. The bill also requires the department to develop an online module on issues in youth mental health education. The module is to include practical components such as case studies and simulations. The module is also to include information on: (1) the dangers of youth mental health challenges; (2) methods to create safe haven classrooms; and (3) cultural competence and diversity considerations in youth mental health education. Additionally, the bill requires the State Board of Education to require a candidate holding a valid teaching certificate issued by another state, or a candidate that possesses a certificate of eligibility, to complete the online module on youth mental health education developed by the department within one year of the effective date of this act. Finally, the bill stipulates that a candidate that has completed a comparable mental health education course or training within the last five years preceding the effective date of the bill may request an exemption on a form and in a manner determined by the commissioner.

AI Summary

Committee Categories

Rosaura Bagolie (D)*,  Linda Carter (D)*,  Annette Quijano (D)*,  Andrea Katz (D),  Balvir Singh (D), 

Introduced, Referred to Assembly Education Committee (on 03/06/2025)

Official Document