SSHB353 224 4128
HOUSE SUMMARY OF SENATE AMENDMENTS
HB 353 2023 Regular Session Marcelle
STUDENTS: Provides relative to student behavior, discipline, and behavioral and mental
health
Synopsis of Senate Amendments
1.Require rather than authorize information about suicide and substance abuse to
be posted on websites.
2.Change purpose of pilot program from adverse childhood experiences screening
to trauma-informed mental health screening.
3.Require excusing mental or behavioral absences upon written certification in
accordance with student handbook rather than written certification from parent
or doctor.
Digest of Bill as Finally Passed by Senate
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 if certified in writing in accordance with the student 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 shall include providing the website and phone number
of at least one national organization specializing in substance abuse for adolescents and that
school boards shall also post this contact information on their websites.
Proposed law requires the Dept. of Education to develop and administer a pilot program for
the purpose of implementing 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.
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(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))
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