Nebraska LB 120: Require teacher and school staff to receive training on behavioral and mental health

Bill Text

LEGISLATURE OF NEBRASKA
ONE HUNDRED SIXTH LEGISLATURE
FIRST SESSION
LEGISLATIVE BILL 120

Introduced by Crawford, 45.
Read first time January 10, 2019
Committee: Education
A BILL FOR AN ACT relating to schools; to amend section 79-2,146, Reissue1
Revised Statutes of Nebraska, and section 79-2,144, Revised Statutes2
Cumulative Supplement, 2018; to require training on mental health as3
prescribed; to harmonize provisions; to repeal the original4
sections; and to declare an emergency.5
Be it enacted by the people of the State of Nebraska,6
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Section 1. Section 79-2,144, Revised Statutes Cumulative Supplement,1
2018, is amended to read:2
79-2,144 The state school security director appointed pursuant to3
section 79-2,143 shall be responsible for providing leadership and4
support for safety and security for the public schools. Duties of the5
director include, but are not limited to:6
(1) Collecting safety and security plans, required pursuant to rules7
and regulations of the State Department of Education relating to8
accreditation of schools, and other school security information from each9
school system in Nebraska. School districts shall provide the state10
school security director with the safety and security plans of the school11
district and any other security information requested by the director,12
but any plans or information submitted by a school district may be13
withheld by the department pursuant to subdivision (8) of section14
84-712.05;15
(2) Recommending minimum standards for school security on or before16
January 1, 2016, to the State Board of Education;17
(3) Conducting an assessment of the security of each public school18
building, which assessment shall be completed by August 31, 2019;19
(4) Identifying deficiencies in school security based on the minimum20
standards adopted by the State Board of Education and making21
recommendations to school boards for remedying such deficiencies;22
(5) Establishing security awareness and preparedness tools and23
training programs for public school staff;24
(6) Establishing research-based model instructional programs for25
staff, students, and parents to address the underlying causes for violent26
attacks on schools;27
(7) Overseeing behavioral and mental health suicide awareness and28
prevention training in public schools pursuant to section 79-2,146;29
(8) Establishing tornado preparedness standards which shall include,30
but not be limited to, ensuring that every school conducts at least two31
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tornado drills per year;1
(9) Responding to inquiries and requests for assistance relating to2
school security from private, denominational, and parochial schools; and3
(10) Recommending curricular and extracurricular materials to assist4
school districts in preventing and responding to cyberbullying and5
digital citizenship issues.6
Sec. 2. Section 79-2,146, Reissue Revised Statutes of Nebraska, is7
amended to read:8
79-2,146 (1) Beginning in school year 2019-20 2015-16, all public9
school nurses, teachers, counselors, school psychologists,10
administrators, school social workers, and any other appropriate11
personnel shall receive at least one hour of behavioral and mental health12
suicide awareness and prevention training each year during contract13
hours. Such training shall include suicide awareness and prevention14
training. Such training may also include, but not be limited to, topics15
such as identification of early warning signs and symptoms of behavioral16
and mental health issues in students, appropriate and effective responses17
for educators, trauma-informed care, and procedures for making students18
and parents or guardians aware of services and supports. This training19
shall be provided within the framework of existing inservice training20
programs offered by the State Department of Education or as part of21
required professional development activities.22
(2) The department, in consultation with organizations including,23
but not limited to, the Nebraska State Suicide Prevention Coalition, the24
Nebraska chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, the25
Behavioral Health Education Center of Nebraska, the National Alliance on26
Mental Illness Nebraska, and other organizations and professionals with27
expertise in suicide prevention and behavioral and mental health, shall28
develop a list of approved training materials to fulfill the requirements29
of subsection (1) of this section. Such materials shall include training30
on how to identify appropriate mental health services, both within the31
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school and also within the larger community, and when and how to refer1
youth and their families to those services. Such materials may include2
programs that can be completed through self-review of suitable suicide3
prevention and behavioral and mental health materials.4
(3) The department may adopt and promulgate rules and regulations to5
carry out this section.6
Sec.