Enrolled SB 41: Relating to mental health education.
00Enrolled SB 41 01 Relating to mental health education. 02 _______________ 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 14.03.016(a) is amended to read: 11 (a) A local school board shall, in consultation with parents, teachers, and 12 school administrators, adopt policies to promote the involvement of parents in the 13 school district's education program. The policies must include procedures 14 (1) recognizing the authority of a parent and allowing a parent to 15 object to and withdraw the child from a standards-based assessment or test required by
01 the state; 02 (2) recognizing the authority of a parent and allowing a parent to 03 object to and withdraw the child from an activity, class, or program; 04 (3) providing for parent notification not less than two weeks before 05 any activity, class, or program that includes content involving human reproduction or 06 sexual matters is provided to a child; 07 (4) recognizing the authority of a parent and allowing a parent to 08 withdraw the child from an activity, class, program, or standards-based assessment or 09 test required by the state for a religious holiday, as defined by the parent; 10 (5) providing a parent with an opportunity to review the content of an 11 activity, class, performance standard, or program; 12 (6) ensuring that, when a child is absent from an activity, class, 13 program, or standards-based assessment or test required by the state under this section, 14 the absence is not considered an unlawful absence under AS 14.30.020 if the child's 15 parent withdrew the child from the activity, class, program, or standards-based 16 assessment or test or gave permission for the child's absence; 17 (7) providing for parent notification not less than two weeks before 18 any class or program that provides instruction in mental health is provided to a 19 child. 20 * Sec. 3. AS 14.30.360(a) is amended to read: 21 (a) Each district in the state public school system shall be encouraged to 22 initiate and conduct a program in health education for kindergarten through grade 12. 23 The program should include instruction in [PHYSICAL] health and personal safety 24 including alcohol and drug abuse education, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), 25 early cancer prevention and detection, dental health, family health including infant 26 care, environmental health, mental health, physical health, the identification and 27 prevention of child abuse, child abduction, neglect, sexual abuse, and domestic 28 violence, and appropriate use of health services. 29 * Sec. 4. AS 14.30.360(b) is amended to read: 30 (b) The state board shall establish guidelines for a health and personal safety 31 education program, including guidelines for developmentally appropriate
01 instruction in mental health. The state board shall use medically and scientifically 02 based content when developing the guidelines for developmentally appropriate 03 instruction in mental health and may not include in the guidelines any political, 04 ideological, or advocacy-oriented content that is unrelated to student mental 05 health. In developing guidelines for developmentally appropriate instruction in 06 mental health, the state board shall consult with the Department of Health, the 07 Department of Family and Community Services, regional tribal health 08 organizations, and representatives of national and state mental health 09 organizations. Personal safety guidelines shall be developed in consultation with the 10 Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault. Upon request, the Department of 11 Education and Early Development, the Department of Health, the Department of 12 Family and Community Services, and the Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual 13 Assault shall provide technical assistance to school districts in the development of 14 personal safety curricula. A school health education specialist position shall be 15 established and funded in the department to coordinate the program statewide. 16 Adequate funds to enable curriculum and resource development, adequate consultation 17 to school districts, and a program of teacher training in health and personal safety 18 education shall be provided. 19 * Sec. 5. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 20 read: 21 REPORT TO THE LEGISLATURE. Two years after the effective date of this Act, the 22 state Board of Education and Early Development shall submit a report to the senate secretary 23 and chief clerk of the house of representatives and notify the legislature that the report is 24 available. The report must 25 (1) include a copy of the guidelines for developmentally appropriate 26 instruction in mental health developed by the state Board of Education and Early 27 Development as required under AS 14.30.360(b), as amended by sec. 4 of this Act; and 28 (2) describe the process the state Board of Education and Early Development 29 used to develop the guidelines. 30 * Sec. 6. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 31 read:
01 TRANSITION. The state Board of Education and Early Development shall develop 02 the mental health guidelines required by AS 14.30.360(b), as amended by sec. 4 of this Act, 03 within two years after the effective date of this Act.