BILL ANALYSIS Ó AB 2246 Page 1 Date of Hearing: April 20, 2016 ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS Lorena Gonzalez, Chair AB 2246 (O'Donnell) - As Amended March 16, 2016 ----------------------------------------------------------------- |Policy |Education |Vote:|7 - 0 | |Committee: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |-------------+-------------------------------+-----+-------------| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |-------------+-------------------------------+-----+-------------| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ----------------------------------------------------------------- Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: YesReimbursable: Yes SUMMARY: This bill requires each school district, county office of education (COE), charter school, and State Special School, serving students in grades 7 to 12, inclusive, to adopt a policy AB 2246 Page 2 on suicide prevention before the beginning of the 2017-18 school year. Specifically, this bill: 1)Requires the policy to be developed in consultation with school and community stakeholders including, school-employed mental health professionals, and suicide prevention. 2)Requires the policy to, at a minimum, address procedures relating to suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention and address the needs of high-risk groups, including, but not limited to, all of the following: a) Youth bereaved by suicide, b) Youth with disabilities, mental illness, or substance use disorders, c) Youth experiencing homelessness or in out-of-home settings, such as foster care; and, d) Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or questioning youth. 3)Requires the policy to address teacher training and requires local educational agencies (LEAs) to approve materials for training. These materials must include how to identify appropriate mental health services, both within the schoolsite and also within the larger community, and when and how to refer youth and their families to those services. Further authorizes approved materials to include programs that can be completed through self-review of suitable suicide prevention materials. AB 2246 Page 3 4)Requires the policy to ensure that school employees act only within the authorization or scope of their credential or license. States that nothing the bill is construed as authorizing or encouraging school employees to diagnose or treat mental illness unless they are specifically licensed and employed to do so. 5)Requires the California Department of Education (CDE), to assist LEAs in developing policies for student suicide prevention and to develop and maintain a model policy to serve as a guide for LEAs. FISCAL EFFECT: 1)Proposition 98/GF state reimbursable costs, likely in the hundreds of thousands, for each school district, county office of education (COE), charter school, and State Special School, serving students in grades 7 to 12, inclusive, to adopt a policy on suicide prevention. There are approximately 1,600 LEAs that would be required to develop a policy. Actual costs will depend on how local education agencies choose to implement the requirements of the bill. 2)One-time General Fund administrative costs to the CDE of approximately $46,000 to develop a model policy on suicide prevention. The department will collaborate with stakeholders AB 2246 Page 4 to create and disseminate the policy and provide technical assistance to LEAs for adoption. COMMENTS: Purpose. According to the author, school personnel who interact with students on a daily basis are in a prime position to recognize warning signs of suicide and make appropriate referrals for help. A national study conducted by the Jason Foundation found that a teacher is the number one person a student would contact to help a friend who might be suicidal. When a young person comes to a teacher for help, it is vital that she has the knowledge, skills, and resources to respond appropriately. This bill proposes to address youth suicide prevention by requiring school districts to adopt suicide prevention policies. Six other states (Pennsylvania, Georgia, Maine, Connecticut, Utah, and Washington) have enacted legislation requiring school districts to adopt suicide prevention policies. Many other states provide model suicide prevention policies for their school districts, as this bill requires. Analysis Prepared by:Misty Feusahrens / APPR. / (916) 319-2081 AB 2246 Page 5