Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
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State of Arkansas 1
95th General Assembly A Bill 2
Regular Session, 2025 HOUSE BILL 1030 3
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By: Representative A. Collins 5
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For An Act To Be Entitled 8
AN ACT TO REQUIRE A SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER OR LAW 9
ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL ASSIGNED TO A PUBLIC SCHOOL 10
CAMPUS OR EMPLOYED BY A PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT TO 11
OBTAIN CERTIFICATION IN YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH FIRST 12
AID; TO REQUIRE A SCHOOL COUNSELOR TO RECEIVE YOUTH 13
MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID TRAINING; AND FOR OTHER 14
PURPOSES. 15
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Subtitle 18
TO REQUIRE A SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER OR 19
LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL TO OBTAIN 20
CERTIFICATION IN YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH 21
FIRST AID; AND TO REQUIRE A SCHOOL 22
COUNSELOR TO RECEIVE YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH 23
FIRST AID TRAINING. 24
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 26
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SECTION 1. Arkansas Code § 6 -10-128(d)(1), concerning school resource 28
officer training requirements, is amended to read as follows: 29
(d)(1) Sworn, nonsupervisory law enforcement personnel, including 30
without limitation school resource officers, who are assigned to a public 31
school campus during the instructional day or employed by a public school 32
district shall: 33
(A) Within eighteen (18) months of being assigned or 34
employed by the public school district: 35
(i)(a) Complete a forty -hour basic school resource 36 HB1030
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officer training program developed and provided , or approved, by the Arkansas 1
Center for School Safety of the Criminal Justice Institute. 2
(b) The training required under subdivision 3
(d)(1)(A)(i)(a) of this section shall include without limitation: 4
(1) The roles and responsibilities of 5
school resource officers in public schools; 6
(2) Laws that are specific to public 7
schools and students in public schools; and 8
(3) Adolescent behavior and development; 9
and 10
(ii)(a) Attend a training in youth mental health as 11
required by the State Board of Education Obtain certification in Youth Mental 12
Health First Aid. 13
(b) The youth mental health training required 14
under subdivision (d)(1)(A)(ii)(a) of this section shall be obtained Youth 15
Mental Health First Aid certification shall be maintained and renewed every 16
four (4) years if the school resource officer remains assigned to or employed 17
by a public school district; 18
(B)(i) Within five (5) years after receiving the initial 19
basic school resource officer training program, complete a sixteen -hour 20
school resource officer refresher training developed and provided, or 21
approved, by the Arkansas Center for School Safety of the Criminal Justice 22
Institute. 23
(ii) The school resource officer refresher training 24
required under subdivision (d)(1)(B)(i) of this section shall be completed 25
every five (5) years; and 26
(C)(i) Annually complete twelve (12) hours of public 27
school-specific continuing education developed and provided, or approved, by 28
the Arkansas Center for School Safety of the Criminal Justice Institute. 29
(ii) The youth mental health Youth Mental Health 30
First Aid training required under subdivision (d)(1)(A)(ii) of this section 31
and the school resource officer refresher training required under subdivision 32
(d)(1)(B) of this section shall count towards the twelve (12) hours of public 33
school-specific continuing education required under subdivision (d)(1)(C)(i) 34
of this section in the years during which the youth mental health Youth 35
Mental Health First Aid and school resource officer refresher trainings are 36 HB1030
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completed. 1
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SECTION 2. Arkansas Code § 6 -18-2004(d), concerning school counselor 3
training required for purposes of comprehensive student services, is amended 4
to read as follows: 5
(d) By September 1, 2024 2025, and every four (4) years following, a 6
school counselor shall receive youth mental health Youth Mental Health First 7
Aid training, as prescribed by the State Board of Education, to learn the 8
risk factors and warning signs of mental health issues in adolescents, the 9
importance of early intervention, and how to help an adolescent who is in 10
crisis or expecting a mental health challenge. 11
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