Bill > HB4987

This bill, titled the Safety and Violence Education for Students Act, mandates that the West Virginia Department of Education require all schools serving students in grades six through twelve to provide at least one hour of evidence-based youth violence prevention training annually, which must begin within two years of the Department developing a list of approved trainings. This training will teach students to identify warning signs of individuals at risk of harming themselves or others, understand the importance of taking threats seriously and seeking help, and learn how to report dangerous activities. Additionally, the bill requires the Department of Education to develop and make publicly available a list of these evidence-based trainings, including any no-cost options, and to update this list at least every 36 months. For students in kindergarten through twelfth grade, the bill also requires at least one hour of evidence-based training annually on combatting social isolation, teaching students what social isolation is, how to identify it in others, the importance of seeking help for peers, and strategies to build connections. The Department of Education may also require schools serving students in kindergarten through twelfth grade to establish student-led violence prevention clubs that are open to all students and have an adult advisor, and these clubs must engage in awareness activities or foster student leadership. The Department is encouraged to seek state and federal funding to support these initiatives, and the requirements are voluntary for public charter schools and nonpublic schools.

Education

http://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/Bills_history.cfm?input=4987&year=2026&sessiontype=RS&btype=bill