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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to staff development requirements for public school |
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educators regarding mental health and suicide prevention. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 21.451(d), Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(d) The staff development: |
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(1) may include training in: |
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(A) technology; |
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(B) conflict resolution; |
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(C) discipline strategies, including classroom |
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management, district discipline policies, and the student code of |
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conduct adopted under Section 37.001 and Chapter 37; and |
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(D) preventing, identifying, responding to, and |
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reporting incidents of bullying; |
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(2) subject to Subsection (e) and to Section 21.3541 |
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and rules adopted under that section, must include training that is |
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evidence-based [based on scientifically based research], as |
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defined by Section 8101, Every Student Succeeds Act [9101, No Child
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Left Behind Act of 2001] (20 U.S.C. Section 7801), that: |
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(A) relates to instruction of students with |
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disabilities; and |
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(B) is designed for educators who work primarily |
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outside the area of special education; and |
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(3) must include three hours of training about mental |
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health issues, mental health care, and suicide prevention |
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[training] that must be provided: |
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(A) on an annual basis, as part of a new employee |
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orientation, to all new school district and open-enrollment charter |
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school educators; and |
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(B) to existing school district and |
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open-enrollment charter school educators on a schedule adopted by |
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the agency by rule. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |