North Carolina HB 578: Incentivize Space Spirits.

Bill Text

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
H 2
HOUSE BILL 578
Committee Substitute Favorable 4/29/25

Short Title: The Jason Flatt Act of North Carolina. (Public)
Sponsors:
Referred to:
April 1, 2025
*H578-v-2*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO REQUIRE SUICIDE PREVENTION EDUCATION BE PART OF THE 2
SCHOOL-BASED MENTAL HEALTH POLICY OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL. 3
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 4
SECTION 1. G.S. 115C-376.5 reads as rewritten: 5
"§ 115C-376.5. School-based mental health plan required. 6
... 7
(b) School-Based Mental Health Policy. – The State Board of Education shall adopt a 8
school-based mental health policy that includes (i) minimum requirements for a school-based 9
mental health plan for K-12 school units and (ii) a model mental health training program program, 10
a suicide prevention education requirement, and model suicide risk referral protocol for K-12 11
school units. Consistent with this section, the model mental health training program program, a 12
suicide prevention education requirement, and model suicide risk referral protocol shall meet all 13
of the following requirements: 14
(1) The model mental health training program shall be provided to school 15
personnel who work with students in grades kindergarten through 12 and 16
address the following topics: 17
a. Youth mental health. 18
b. Suicide prevention. 19
c. Substance abuse. 20
d. Sexual abuse prevention. 21
e. Sex trafficking prevention. 22
f. Teenage dating violence. 23
(2) The model suicide risk referral protocol shall be provided to school personnel 24
who work with students in grades six through 12 and provide both of the 25
following: 26
a. Guidelines on the identification of students at risk of suicide. 27
b. Procedures and referral sources that address actions that should be 28
taken to address students identified in accordance with this 29
subdivision. 30
(3) Suicide prevention education shall be provided to all licensed educators. The 31
material will cover the educator's role in youth suicide awareness in more 32
detail than the model mental health training. This training may be 33
accomplished through self-review of suitable suicide prevention materials 34
approved by the State Board of Education. The State Board of Education and 35

General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 House Bill 578-Second Edition
the Department of Public Instruction shall make suicide prevention education 1
materials available at no cost to K-12 school units. 2
(c) School-Based Mental Health Plan. – Each K-12 school unit shall adopt a plan for 3
promoting student mental health and well-being that includes, at a minimum, the following: 4
(1) Minimum requirements for a school-based mental health plan established by 5
the State Board of Education pursuant to subsection (b) of this section. 6
(2) A mental health training program program, a suicide prevention education 7
requirement, and a suicide risk referral protocol that are consistent with the 8
model programs developed by the State Board of Education pursuant to 9
subsection (b) of this section. 10
(d) Training and Protocol Requirements. – Each K-12 school unit shall provide its 11
adopted mental health training program program, suicide prevention education, and suicide risk 12
referral protocol to school personnel at no cost to the employee. Employees shall receive an initial 13
mental health training of at least six hours and subsequent mental health trainings of at least two 14
hours. The initial mental health training shall occur within the first six months of employment. 15
Subsequent mental health trainings shall occur in the following school year and annually 16
thereafter. Additionally, school personnel shall complete one hour of suicide prevention 17
education each year to coincide with subsequent mental health trainings. In the discretion of the 18
K-12 school unit, the initial mental health training may be waived in the event the employee 19
completed an initial mental health training at another K-12 school unit. School personnel may 20
meet mental health training and suicide prevention education requirements in any of the 21
following ways: 22
(1) Electronic delivery of instruction. 23
(2) Videoconferencing. 24
(3) Group, in-person training. 25
(4) Self-study. 26
(5) Completion of approved programs. 27
(e) Review and Update. – Beginning August 1, 2025, and every five years thereafter, the 28
Superintendent of Public Instruction shall review the State Board of Education's minimum 29
requirements for a school-based mental health plan, model mental health training program, 30
suicide prevention education, and model suicide risk referral protocol and recommend any 31
needed changes to the State Board of Education. The State Board shall update its policies to 32
reflect those recommendations and publish the updates to K-12 school units. A K-12 school unit 33
shall update its adopted school-based mental health plan in accordance with any updates provided 34