Amended in Assembly September 3, 2013

Amended in Assembly August 6, 2013

Amended in Assembly June 18, 2013

Amended in Senate May 28, 2013

Amended in Senate May 8, 2013

Amended in Senate April 1, 2013

Senate BillNo. 330


Introduced by Senator Padilla

(Coauthors: Senators Beall and Gaines)

(Coauthor: Assembly Member Maienschein)

February 19, 2013


An act to add Section 51900.5 to the Education Code, relating to pupil instruction.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

SB 330, as amended, Padilla. Pupil instruction: health framework: mental health instruction.

Existing law requires the State Department of Education to prepare and distribute to school districts guidelines for the preparation of comprehensive health education plans, and requires approval of district plans to be made in accordance with rules and regulations adopted by the State Board of Education. Existing law also establishes the Instructional Quality Commission and requires the commission to, among other things, recommend curriculum frameworks to the state board.

This bill would require, during the next revision of the publication “Health Framework for California Public Schools,” the commission to consider developing, and recommending for adoption by the state board, a distinct category on mental health instruction, as described, to educate pupils about all aspects of mental health. The bill would require thebegin delete department to review information and programs from other states and countries, and to convene stakeholdersend deletebegin insert commission to ensure that one or more expertsend insert in the mental health and educationalbegin delete fields, as provided, to provideend deletebegin insert fields providesend insert inputbegin delete forend deletebegin insert inend insert the development of the mental health instruction in the healthbegin delete framework. Commencing with the 2013-14 school year, the bill would authorize a school district to provide to pupils in any grades mental health instruction. end deletebegin insert framework, as provided.end insert

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

P2    1

SECTION 1.  

The Legislature finds and declares all of the
2following:

3(a) Mental health is critical to overall health, well-being, and
4academic success.

5(b) Mental health challenges affect all age groups, races,
6ethnicities, and socioeconomic classes.

7(c) Millions of Californians, including at least one in five youths,
8live with mental health challenges. Millions more are affected by
9the mental health challenges of someone else, such as a close friend
10or family member.

11(d) Mental health education is one of the best ways to increase
12awareness and the seeking of help, while reducing the stigma
13associated with mental health challenges. The public education
14system is the most efficient and effective setting for providing this
15education to all children and youth. Therefore, it is the intent of
16the Legislature to ensure that all California kindergarten and grades
171 to 12, inclusive, pupils have the opportunity to benefit from a
18comprehensive mental health education curriculum.

19

SEC. 2.  

Section 51900.5 is added to the Education Code, to
20read:

21

51900.5.  

(a) During the next revision of the publication “Health
22Framework for California Public Schools” (health framework),
P3    1the Instructional Quality Commission shall consider developing,
2and recommending for adoption by the state board, a distinct
3category on mental health instruction to educate pupils about all
4aspects of mental health.

5(b) As used in this section, “mental health instruction” shall
6include, but not be limited to, all of the following:

7(1) Reasonably designed and age-appropriate instruction on the
8overarching themes and core principles of mental health.

9(2) Defining common mental health challenges such as
10depression, suicidal thoughts and behaviors, schizophrenia, bipolar
11disorder, eating disorders, and anxiety, including post-traumatic
12stress disorder.

13(3) Elucidating the services and supports that effectively help
14individuals manage mental health challenges.

15(4) Promoting mental health wellness, which includes positive
16development, social connectedness and supportive relationships,
17resiliency, problem solving skills, coping skills, self-esteem, and
18a positive school and home environment in which pupils feel
19comfortable.

20(5) Ability to identify warning signs of common mental health
21problems in order to promote awareness and early intervention so
22pupils know to take action before a situation turns into a crisis.
23This should include instruction on both of the following:

24(A) How to appropriately seek and find assistance from mental
25health professionals and services within the school district and in
26the community for themselves or others.

27(B) Appropriate evidence-based research and practices that are
28proven to help overcome mental health challenges.

29(6) The connection and importance of mental health to overall
30health and academic success as well as to cooccurring conditions,
31such as chronic physical conditions and chemical dependence and
32substance abuse.

33(7) Awareness and appreciation about the prevalence of mental
34health challenges across all populations, races, ethnicities, and
35socioeconomic statuses, including the impact of culture on the
36experience and treatment of mental health challenges.

37(8) Stigma surrounding mental health challenges and what can
38be done to overcome stigma, increase awareness, and promote
39acceptance. This shall include, to the extent possible, classroom
40presentations of narratives by peers and other individuals who
P4    1have experienced mental health challenges, and how they coped
2with their situations, including how they sought help and
3acceptance.

4(c) begin deleteThe department shall review information and programs from
5other states and countries, and shall convene stakeholders in the
6mental health and educational fields, including, but not limited to,
7stakeholders end delete
begin insertIn the normal course of recommending curriculum
8frameworks to the state board, as required by Section 60204, the
9Instructional Quality Commission shall ensure that one or more
10experts in the mental health and educational fields provides input
11in the development of the mental health instruction in the health
12framework. It is the intent of the Legislature that the Instructional
13Quality Commissionend insert
begin insert seek experts end insertfrom culturally, racially, and
14ethnically diverse communities, representatives from all mental
15health professions, teachers, counselors, parents, those involved
16in promoting mental wellness, and those living with a mental health
17challenge and their begin delete families, to provide input for the development
18of the mental health instruction in the health framework. At least
19one-half of the stakeholders convened shall be current elementary
20and secondary classroom teachers.end delete
begin insert families.end insert

begin delete

21(d) Commencing with the 2013-14 school year, a school district
22may provide pupils in any grades mental health instruction as
23described in this section.

end delete
begin delete

24(e)

end delete

25begin insert(d)end insert This section does not require or authorize the Instructional
26Quality Commission to recommend new health education content
27standards.



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