BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 2246
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Date of Hearing: April 20, 2016
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Lorena Gonzalez, Chair
AB
2246 (O'Donnell) - As Amended March 16, 2016
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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
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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.
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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
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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
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