New Hampshire SB 658: authorizing the department of education to establish a safe and resilient schools advisory council.

Bill Text

SB 658-FN - AS INTRODUCED

2026 SESSION

 26-3256

 12/07

SENATE BILL 658-FN

AN ACT authorizing the department of education to establish a safe and resilient schools advisory council.

SPONSORS: Sen. Watters, Dist 4; Sen. Rosenwald, Dist 13; Sen. Fenton, Dist 10; Sen. Long, Dist 20; Sen. Perkins Kwoka, Dist 21

COMMITTEE: Education

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ANALYSIS

 This bill authorizes the department of education to establish a safe and resilient schools advisory council to review existing resources and data and develop a safe and resilient schools framework.

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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.

 Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]

 Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

 26-3256

 12/07

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty-Six

AN ACT authorizing the department of education to establish a safe and resilient schools advisory council.

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

 1 Statement of Purpose. School safety and resilience for New Hampshire schools enables schools and students to prevent and respond to crises and disruptive behaviors and to avoid escalation. Warning signs, social isolation, bullying, or untreated emotional distress can be identified, and schools can replace or supplement punitive or exclusionary discipline to avoid amplifying alienation, which can increase the risk for both suicidality and targeted aggression. In New Hampshire, collaborative partnerships among schools, police, and youth service agencies have already reduced juvenile justice placements and repeat behavioral incidents through proactive, trauma-informed engagement. Moreover, increasing awareness and training relating to neurodivergent students can also replace or supplement punitive or exclusionary discipline. Schools with safety and resilience programs have recorded increased instructional time and improved behavioral health outcomes. New Hampshire can build on this success by establishing a voluntary school safety and resilience program to create standards uniting safety and support. 

 2 New Sections; Safe and Resilient Schools Advisory Council. Amend RSA 193-F by inserting after section 10 the following new sections: 

 193-F:11 Safe and Resilient Schools Advisory Council. 

 I. The department of education shall establish an advisory council to develop guidelines concerning best practices for safe and resilient schools, including education and training for identification, prevention, and early intervention for students in mental health crisis and other behavioral issues, as well as best practices, identification, and early intervention for students who may be neurodivergent. Such guidelines shall include models of parental or guardian involvement and collaboration with partners, including law enforcement. 

 II. The members of the advisory council shall be as follows: 

 (a) The commissioner of the department of education, or designee.

 (b) A representative of the department of health and human services (DHHS), with expertise in data management and analysis related to student health, appointed by the commissioner of the department.

 (c) A school superintendent, appointed by the New Hampshire School Administrators Association.

 (d) A school resource officer, appointed by the New Hampshire Association of Chiefs of Police.

 (e) The director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness - New Hampshire, or designee.

 (f) The director of the Disability Rights Center of New Hampshire, or designee.

 (g) A director of an organization providing treatment and education for neurodivergent children, appointed by the commissioner of the department of education.

 (h) Two parents of school-age children with experience in mental health or neurodivergence, appointed by the commissioner of the department of education.

 III. The advisory council shall: 

 (a) In order to determine how past activities provide a framework for safe and resilient schools' voluntary, sustainable standards, review:

 (1) Current and previous department of education programs, grants, training, toolkits, and reports. 

 (2) The activities of the office of student and educator wellness.

 (3) The 2018 report of the governor’s school safety preparedness task force.

 (4) Adverse childhood experiences training.

 (5) Reports from the multi-tiered system of supports for behavioral health and wellness (MTSS-B) technical assistance center. 

 (b) Develop a safe and resilient schools framework, including, but not limited to: 

 (1) Recommended training for school personnel, police, school resource officers, and mental health partners to ensure unified understanding and