GREEN SHEET REDIGEST
HB 353 2023 Regular Session Marcelle
STUDENTS: Provides relative to student behavior, discipline, and behavioral and
mental health.
DIGEST
Present law provides for exemptions from compulsory school attendance, including when
children are mentally, physically, or emotionally incapacitated to perform school duties as
certified in writing. Proposed law adds that a student may be absent for up to three days in
any school year related to the student's mental or behavioral health, that such absences shall
be excused in accordance with the student's handbook, that the child may make up missed
school work, and that the child shall be referred to school support personnel following the
second day of absence.
Present law requires instruction on mental health and lists the minimum information to be
included. Proposed law adds the difference between mental and physical health and the
management of stress and anxiety to the list.
Present law authorizes youth suicide prevention programs to include certain components, one
of which is informing students of available community youth suicide prevention services.
Proposed law includes posting information on school system website in this component.
Present law requires the governing authority of each public and approved nonpublic
secondary school that issues student identification cards to have printed on the cards the
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline hotline number and, if available, a local suicide
prevention hotline number. Proposed law additionally requires each such school to post this
information on its website.
Present law requires school boards to establish substance abuse prevention programs.
Proposed law adds that the programs must include providing the website and phone number
of at least one national organization specializing in substance abuse for adolescents and that
school boards may also post this contact information on their websites.
Present law provides for in-service training for school employees on adverse childhood
experiences (known as ACEs). Proposed law requires the Dept. of Education to develop and
administer a pilot program for the purpose of implementing ACEs and mental and behavioral
health screenings, select three school systems to participate in the program, and consult with
experts in developing and administering the program.
Present law requires the office of public health (OPH) to establish an adolescent school
health initiative to facilitate and encourage development of comprehensive health centers in
public middle and high schools and provides certain requirements for OPH with respect to
this initiative. Proposed law additionally requires OPH to require such school health centers
to register with OPH.
(Amends R.S. 17:226(A)(1), 271.1(B)(2), 282.4(C)(1)(d) and (F), and 404(A); Adds R.S.
17:271.1(B)(5) and 437.2(F) and R.S. 40:31.3(B)(6))
Summary of Amendments Adopted by House
The Committee Amendments Proposed by House Committee on Education to the
original bill:
1. Remove proposed law relative to school absences, Advisory Council on Student
Behavior and Discipline membership, willful disobedience, and eating disorder
instruction.
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Prepared by Michael Bell. 2. Authorize rather than require information about suicide and substance abuse to
be posted on websites.
3. Expand purpose of pilot program to include mental and behavioral health
screening.
The House Floor Amendments to the engrossed bill:
1. Provide for up to three days of excused absences per school year related to a
student's mental or behavioral health if certified in writing by his parent or
doctor.
Summary of Amendments Adopted by Senate
Committee Amendments Proposed by Senate Committee on Education to the
reengrossed bill
1. Change the requirement for a student's absence to be excused from if certified in
writing by his parent or doctor to in accordance with the student's handbook.
2. Require that substance abuse prevention programs include providing the website
and phone number of at least one national organization specializing in substance
abuse for adolescents.
3. Require each school to post on its website the National Suicide Prevention
Lifeline hotline number and, if available, a local suicide prevention hotline
number.
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Prepared by Michael Bell.