RÉSUMÉ DIGEST
ACT 318 (HB 353) 2023 Regular Session Marcelle
Existing law provides for exemptions from compulsory school attendance, including children
who are too mentally, physically, or emotionally incapacitated to perform school duties.
New 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 student may make up missed
school work, and that the student shall be referred to school support personnel following the
second day of absence.
Existing law requires instruction on mental health and lists the minimum information to be
included. New law adds the difference between mental and physical health and the
management of stress and anxiety to the list.
Existing law authorizes youth suicide prevention programs to include certain components,
one of which is informing students of available community youth suicide prevention
services. New law includes posting information about such services on the school system
website in this component.
Existing 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. New law additionally requires each such school to post this
information on its website.
Existing law requires school boards to establish substance abuse prevention programs. New
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.
New 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.
Existing 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. New law additionally requires OPH to require such school health centers to
register with OPH.
Effective August 1, 2023.
(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))