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Regular Session, 2014
SENATE BILL NO. 539
BY SENATOR NEVERS
MENTAL HEALTH. Provides relative to suicide assessment, intervention, treatment, and
management training for certain professions. (8/1/14)
AN ACT1
To enact Chapter 1-B of Title 37 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, to be comprised2
of R.S. 37:24 through 27, relative to suicide assessment, intervention, treatment and3
management training for certain professionals; to provide relative to professional4
licensing requirements; to provide for certain exemptions; to provide for certain5
definitions, terms, conditions, and procedures; and to provide for related matters.6
Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:7
Section 1. Chapter 1-B of Title 37 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950,8
comprised of R.S. 37:24 through 27, is hereby enacted to read as follows: 9
CHAPTER 1-B. SUICIDE ASSESSMENT, INTERVENTION, TREATMENT,10
AND MANAGEMENT TRAINING11
§24. Licensing provisions; professionals12
A. Beginning January 1, 2015, each of the following professionals13
certified or licensed in Louisiana shall, at least once every six years, complete14
training in suicide assessment, intervention, treatment, and management that15
is approved, in rule, by the relevant disciplining authority:16
(1) A mental health counselor certified or licensed under R.S. 37:1101,17 SB NO. 539
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et seq.1
(2) A social worker certified or licensed under R.S. 37:2701, et seq.2
(3) A physician certified or licensed under R.S. 37:1261, et seq.3
(4) A psychiatrist certified or licensed under R.S. 37:1261, et seq.4
(5) A psychologist certified or licensed under R.S. 37:2351, et seq.5
(6) A medical psychologist certified or licensed under R.S. 37:1360.51,6
et seq.7
(7) A nurse certified or licensed under R.S. 37:911, et seq.8
(8) A physician assistant certified or licensed under R.S. 37:1360.21, et9
seq.10
(9) An addiction counselor certified or licensed under R.S. 37:3386, et11
seq.12
B. The requirements in this Section shall apply to any person holding an13
active license or certification in one of the professions listed in Subsection A of14
this Section.15
C. The training in suicide assessment, intervention, treatment, and16
management required under this Section must be at least six hours in length at17
least once every six years. For purposes of this Chapter, the training may be18
obtained in either one single six-hour block or may be spread among shorter19
training sessions, so long as each licensed professional receives the minimum six20
hours of training every six years required under this Section.21
D.(1) Except as provided in Subsection B of this Section, a professional22
listed in Subsection A of this Section must complete the first training required23
under this Section during the first full continuing education reporting period24
after January 1, 2015, or the first full continuing education reporting period25
after initial licensure or certification, whichever occurs later.26
(2) A professional listed in Subsection A of this Section applying for27
initial licensure on or after January 1, 2015, may delay completion of the first28
training required under this Section for six years after initial licensure if the29 SB NO. 539
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professional can demonstrate successful completion of the training required in1
this Section no more than six years prior to the application for initial licensure.2
§25. Continuing education; exemptions3
A. The hours spent completing training in suicide assessment,4
intervention, treatment, and management under this Chapter are not in5
addition to, but shall count toward, meeting any applicable continuing6
education or continuing competency requirements for each profession.7
B. The implementation of training required under this Section shall not8
be construed to establish a legal basis for negligence or the standard of care or9
duty of care owed by a health care professional to a patient in any civil action10
for medical malpractice.11
§26. Model list of training programs; development12
A. The secretary of the Department of Health and Hospitals and the13
disciplining authorities shall work collaboratively to develop a model list of14
training programs in suicide assessment, intervention, treatment, and15
management. When developing the model list, the secretary and the disciplining16
authorities shall:17
(1) Consider suicide assessment, intervention, treatment, and18
management training programs of at least six hours in length listed on the best19
practices registry of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and the20
Suicide Prevention Resource Center; and21
(2) Consult with public and private institutions of higher education,22
experts in suicide assessment, intervention, treatment, and management, and23
affected professional associations.24
B. The secretary and the disciplining authorities shall report the model25
list of training programs to the Louisiana legislature's house and senate26
committees on health and welfare no later than December 15, 2014.27
C. Nothing in this Chapter may be interpreted to expand or limit the28
scope of practice of any profession regulated under Title 37 of the Louisiana29 SB NO. 539
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Revised Statutes of 1950.1
D. The secretary and the disciplining authorities affected by this Chapter2
shall adopt any rules necessary to implement the training requirements of R.S.3
37:24.4
§27. Definitions5
A. For purposes of this Chapter:6
(1) "Disciplining authority" means the specific professional licensing or7
certifying board that is referenced by statute in R.S. 37:24(A) as certifying or8
licensing each profession included in the training requirements of this Chapter.9
(2) "Training in suicide assessment, intervention, treatment, and10
management" means empirically supported training approved by the11
appropriate disciplining authority that contains the following elements: suicide12
assessment, including screening and referral, suicide intervention, suicide13
treatment, and suicide management.14
B. A state or local government employee is exempt from the training15
requirements of R.S. 37:24 if that employee receives a total of at least six hours16
of training in suicide assessment, intervention, treatment, and management17
from that employee's employer every six years.18
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Julie J. Baxter.
DIGEST
Nevers (SB 539)
Proposed law provides that suicide assessment, intervention, treatment, and management
training shall be included within the existing continuing education requirements for certain
professionals licensed in Louisiana.
Proposed law provides that, beginning January 1, 2015, each of the following professionals
certified or licensed in Louisiana shall, at least once every six years, complete training in
suicide assessment, intervention, treatment, and management that is approved, in rule, by the
relevant disciplining authority, as defined in R.S. 37:27(A):
(1)A mental health counselor certified or licensed under R.S. 37:1101, et seq.
(2)A social worker certified or licensed under R.S. 37:2701, et seq.
(3)A physician certified or licensed under R.S. 37:1261, et seq. SB NO. 539
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(4)A psychiatrist certified or licensed under R.S. 37:1261, et seq.
(5)A psychologist certified or licensed under R.S. 37:2351, et seq.
(6)A medical psychologist certified or licensed under R.S. 37:1360.51, et seq.
(7)A nurse certified or licensed under R.S. 37:911, et seq.
(8)A physician assistant certified or licensed under R.S. 37:1360.21, et seq.
(9)An addiction counselor certified or licensed under R.S. 37:3386, et seq.
Proposed law provides that the requirements in proposed law shall apply to any person
holding an active license or certification in one of the professions listed in proposed law.
Proposed law provides that the training in suicide assessment, intervention, treatment, and
management required in proposed law must be at least six hours in length at least once every
six years. Proposed law provides that the training may be obtained in either one single six-
hour block or may be spread among shorter training sessions, so long as each licensed
professional receives the minimum six hours of training every six years required under
proposed law.
Proposed law provides that, except as provided in proposed law, a professional listed in
proposed law must complete the first training during the first full continuing education
reporting period after January 1, 2015, or the first full continuing education reporting period
after initial licensure or certification, whichever occurs later.
Proposed law provides that a professional listed in proposed law applying for initial
licensure on or after January 1, 2015, may delay completion of the first training required
under proposed law for six years after initial licensure if the professional can demonstrate
successful completion of the training required in proposed law no more than six years prior
to the application for initial licensure.
Proposed law provides that the hours spent completing training in suicide assessment,
intervention, treatment, and management under proposed law are not in addition to, but shall
count toward, meeting any applicable continuing education or continuing competency
requirements for each profession.
Proposed law provides that the implementation of training required under proposed law shall
not be construed to establish a legal basis for negligence or the standard of care or duty of
care owed by a health care professional to a patient in any civil action for medical
malpractice.
Proposed law provides that the secretary of the Department of Health and Hospitals and the
disciplining authorities shall work collaboratively to develop a model list of training
programs in suicide assessment, intervention, treatment, and management. Further provides
that when developing the model list, the secretary and the disciplining authorities shall:
(1)Consider suicide assessment, intervention, treatment, and management training
programs of at least six hours in length listed on the best practices registry of the
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and the Suicide Prevention Resource
Center; and
(2)Consult with public and private institutions of higher education, experts in suicide
assessment, intervention, treatment, and management, and affected professional
associations.
Proposed law provides that the secretary and disciplining authorities shall report the model SB NO. 539
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list of training programs to the Louisiana legislature's House and Senate committees on
health and welfare no later than December 15, 2014.
Proposed law further provides that proposed law may be interpreted to expand or limit the
scope of practice of any profession regulated under Title 37 of the Louisiana Revised
Statutes of 1950.
Proposed law provides that the secretary and the disciplining authorities affected by
proposed law shall adopt any rules necessary to implement the training requirements of
proposed law.
Proposed law provides for the following definitions:
(1)"Disciplining authority" means the specific professional licensing or certifying board
that is referenced by statute in R.S. 37:24(A) as certifying or licensing each
profession included in the training requirements of proposed law.
(2)"Training in suicide assessment, intervention, treatment, and management" means
empirically supported training approved by the appropriate disciplining authority that
contains the following elements: suicide assessment, including screening and
referral, suicide intervention, suicide treatment, and suicide management.
Proposed law provides that a state or local government employee is exempt from the training
requirements of R.S. 37:24 if that employee receives a total of at least six hours of training
in suicide assessment, intervention, treatment, and management from that employee's
employer every six years.
Effective August 1, 2014.
(Adds R.S. 37:24-27)