HCS CSSB 80(FIN): "An Act relating to mental health education; and providing for an effective date."
00 HOUSE CS FOR CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 80(FIN) 01 "An Act relating to mental health education; and providing for an effective date." 02 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 03 * Section 1. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section 04 to read: 05 LEGISLATIVE INTENT. It is the intent of the legislature that the Board of Education 06 and Early Development develop guidelines for instruction in mental health in consultation 07 with the Department of Health, the Department of Family and Community Services, regional 08 tribal health organizations, and representatives of national and state mental health 09 organizations. 10 * Sec. 2. AS 14.30.360(a) is amended to read: 11 (a) Each district in the state public school system shall be encouraged to 12 initiate and conduct a program in health education for kindergarten through grade 12. 13 The program should include instruction in [PHYSICAL] health and personal safety 14 including alcohol and drug abuse education, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), 15 early cancer prevention and detection, dental health, family health including infant
01 care, environmental health, mental health, physical health, the identification and 02 prevention of child abuse, child abduction, neglect, sexual abuse, and domestic 03 violence, and appropriate use of health services. 04 * Sec. 3. AS 14.30.360(b) is amended to read: 05 (b) The state board shall establish guidelines for a health and personal safety 06 education program. Guidelines for developmentally appropriate instruction in 07 mental health shall be developed in consultation with the Department of Health, 08 the Department of Family and Community Services, regional tribal health 09 organizations, and representatives of national and state mental health 10 organizations. Personal safety guidelines shall be developed in consultation with the 11 Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault. Upon request, the Department of 12 Education and Early Development, the Department of Health, the Department of 13 Family and Community [AND SOCIAL] Services, and the Council on Domestic 14 Violence and Sexual Assault shall provide technical assistance to school districts in 15 the development of personal safety curricula. A school health education specialist 16 position shall be established and funded in the department to coordinate the program 17 statewide. Adequate funds to enable curriculum and resource development, adequate 18 consultation to school districts, and a program of teacher training in health and 19 personal safety education shall be provided. 20 * Sec. 4. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 21 read: 22 REPORT TO THE LEGISLATURE. Two years after the effective date of this Act, the 23 state Board of Education and Early Development shall submit a report to the senate secretary 24 and chief clerk of the house of representatives and notify the legislature that the report is 25 available. The report must 26 (1) include a copy of the guidelines for developmentally appropriate 27 instruction in mental health developed by the state Board of Education and Early 28 Development as required under AS 14.30.360(b), as amended by sec. 3 of this Act; and 29 (2) describe the process the state Board of Education and Early Development 30 used to develop the guidelines. 31 * Sec. 5. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to
01 read: 02 TRANSITION. The state Board of Education and Early Development shall develop 03 the mental health guidelines required by AS 14.30.360(b), as amended by sec. 3 of this Act, 04 within two years after the effective date of this Act. 05 * Sec. 6. This Act takes effect July 1, 2022.