Alabama 2025 Regular Session

Alabama House Bill HR35 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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1	1	HR35INTRODUCED
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3	3	HR35
4	4	46QV3RI-1
5	5	By Representatives Baker, Collins, Drummond, Estes
6	6	RFD:
7	7	First Read: 06-Feb-25
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12	12	5 46QV3RI-1 01/31/2025 NG (L)NG 2025-435
13	13	Page 1
14	14	First Read: 06-Feb-25
15	15	HR____ EXPRESSING SUPPORT FOR THE SOUTHERN REGIONAL
16	16	EDUCATION BOARD CRISIS RECOVERY SUPPORT NETWORK.
17	17	WHEREAS, after natural disasters like hurricanes,
18	18	tornadoes and floods, after school shootings, and in public
19	19	emergencies, recovery must be prioritized as a long-term
20	20	process, rather than an immediate response only; and
21	21	WHEREAS, states, districts, and postsecondary
22	22	institutions have focused on crisis prevention and
23	23	management but may not have the capacity to provide
24	24	sustained support for their students, teachers, communities,
25	25	and even their own counselors during the recovery stage; and
26	26	WHEREAS, rural districts and institutions in
27	27	particular tend to have fewer counselors and limited access
28	28	to additional counseling resources; and
29	29	WHEREAS, school counselors are often expected to
30	30	respond to student needs after tragedy, even as they
31	31	themselves grapple with the emotional toll, underscoring the
32	32	need for external support for the entire school community;
33	33	and
34	34	WHEREAS, schools and institutions affected by crisis
35	35	may require at least a year of dedicated support to fully
36	36	recover; and
37	37	WHEREAS, recovery efforts can strain resources that
38	38	are already stretched thin, given that a National Center for
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68	68	are already stretched thin, given that a National Center for
69	69	Education Statistics study showed that less than half of
70	70	public schools surveyed believe that their school is able to
71	71	provide mental health services to all students in need; and
72	72	WHEREAS, recovery is an extended healing process for
73	73	students and adults alike, and having additional counselors
74	74	come to the aid of a school or institution in extreme need
75	75	supports the healing process of all people in the community,
76	76	including teachers and counselors at that school; and
77	77	WHEREAS, specialized training for counselors is
78	78	essential to ensure that they have psychological first aid
79	79	training and provide counseling that aligns with the unique
80	80	needs of an educational environment; and
81	81	WHEREAS, research shows that students who receive
82	82	adequate support after a crisis are more likely to succeed
83	83	academically, remain in school, and contribute positively to
84	84	society; and
85	85	WHEREAS, the Southern Regional Education Board
86	86	(SREB), with its 75-year history of partnering with states
87	87	to improve education, is uniquely equipped to lead this
88	88	effort because of its ability to mobilize key education and
89	89	policymaking stakeholders at all levels; now therefore,
90	90	BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
91	91	LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA, That to meet the urgent need for a
92	92	coordinated, region-wide effort to provide consistent
93	93	long-term counseling capacity that is ready to deploy
94	94	immediately after a crisis is managed, the Legislature
95	95	supports the SREB Crisis Recovery Support Network; the
96	96	Southern Regional Education Board, in close collaboration
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126	126	Southern Regional Education Board, in close collaboration
127	127	with governors' offices, state education agencies, local
128	128	districts, and postsecondary institutions, will complement
129	129	existing school and district crisis management efforts by
130	130	focusing on long-term healing and psychological resilience
131	131	by deploying counselors with specialized training to schools
132	132	in extreme need; and will hire a coordinator for the network
133	133	and cover travel costs for counselors during training and
134	134	deployment.
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