EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*sb0654*
SENATE BILL 654
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CF 4lr1099
By: Senator A. Washington
Introduced and read first time: January 29, 2024
Assigned to: Education, Energy, and the Environment
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Prince George’s County – Student Support – Specialist Networks and Success 2
Action Plans 3
(Student Supports and Success Act) 4
FOR the purpose of establishing a Student Support Specialist Network consisting of certain 5
school–based personnel at each public high school in Prince George’s County; 6
requiring the Prince George’s County Board of Education to develop a certain 7
template using certain guidelines; requiring each Student Support Specialist 8
Network in the county to develop, approve, and implement a certain plan subject to 9
review and approval by the Prince George’s County Board of Education; and 10
generally relating to Student Support Specialist Networks and Student Support 11
Success Action Plans in Prince George’s County. 12
BY adding to 13
Article – Education 14
Section 7–452 15
Annotated Code of Maryland 16
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2023 Supplement) 17
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 18
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 19
Article – Education 20
7–452. 21
(A) (1) IN THIS SECTION THE F OLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 22
INDICATED. 23
2 SENATE BILL 654
(2) “NETWORK” MEANS A STUDENT SUPPORT SPECIALIST 1
NETWORK. 2
(3) “PLAN” MEANS A STUDENT SUPPORT SUCCESS ACTION PLAN. 3
(4) “TEMPLATE” MEANS THE TEM PLATE DEVELOPED BY T HE PRINCE 4
GEORGE’S COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION USED BY A STUDENT SUPPORT 5
SPECIALIST NETWORK. 6
(B) THIS SECTION APPLIES ONLY IN PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY. 7
(C) THERE IS A STUDENT SUPPORT SPECIALIST NETWORK IN EACH PUBLI C 8
HIGH SCHOOL IN THE COUNTY. 9
(D) EACH NETWORK SHALL INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING MEMBER S, IF 10
APPLICABLE: 11
(1) THE VICE PRINCIPAL OF THE SCHOOL; 12
(2) PROFESSIONAL SCHOOL –BASED COUNSELORS ; 13
(3) SCHOOL–BASED PSYCHOLOGISTS ; 14
(4) SCHOOL–BASED NURSES ; 15
(5) LICENSED CLINICAL SOCIAL WORKERS ; 16
(6) CRISIS INTERVENTION RESOURCE TEACHERS; 17
(7) CAREER COACHES ; 18
(8) COMMUNITY SCHOOL COOR DINATORS; 19
(9) SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFIC ERS; AND 20
(10) SCHOOL SECURITY EMPLO YEES. 21
(E) (1) ON OR BEFORE AUGUST 31, 2024, THE PRINCE GEORGE’S 22
COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION SHALL DEVEL OP, APPROVE, AND DISSEMINATE A 23
TEMPLATE FOR A STUDENT SUPPORT SUCCESS ACTION PLAN TO BE USED BY EA CH 24
NETWORK. 25
SENATE BILL 654 3
(2) THE TEMPLATE FOR A PL AN DEVELOPED UNDER T HIS 1
SUBSECTION SHALL INC LUDE METRICS TO MEAS URE AND CONCRET E STEPS TO 2
ACHIEVE IMPROVEMENTS IN: 3
(I) THE NUMBER OF STUDENT S WHO HAVE ACCESS TO 4
BEHAVIORAL AND MENTA L HEALTH SUPPORTS ; 5
(II) THE RATIO OF LICENSED CLINICAL SOCIAL WORK ERS, 6
LICENSED PROFESSIONA L COUNSELORS , CRISIS INTERVENTION RESOURCE 7
TEACHERS, AND CLINICAL THERAPIST S TO STUDENTS; 8
(III) REFERRALS OF STUDENTS TO MENTAL HEALTH SER VICES, 9
NURSES, CAREER COUNSELING , AND FOOD PANTRIES ; 10
(IV) COMMUNITY SCHOOL ASSE SSMENT RESULTS ; 11
(V) THE USE OF RESTORATIV E APPROACHES IN ADDR ESSING 12
STUDENT MISCONDUCT ; 13
(VI) THE USE OF TRAUMA –INFORMED APPROACHES TO A 14
STUDENT IN DISTRESS ; 15
(VII) THE NUMBER OF SCHOOL –BASED ARRESTS ; 16
(VIII) THE NUMBER OF STUDENT DISCIPLINARY REFERRA LS 17
ISSUED; 18
(IX) THE NUMBER OF SUSPENS IONS; 19
(X) REFERRALS TO THE DEPARTMENT OF JUVENILE 20
SERVICES; AND 21
(XI) THE NUMBER OF EXPULSI ONS FOR NONVIOLENT B EHAVIOR; 22
AND 23
(3) IN ADDITION TO THE ME TRICS REQUIRED UNDER PARAGRAPH (2) 24
OF THIS SUBSECTION , THE TEMPLATE FO R A PLAN DEVELOPED U NDER THIS 25
SUBSECTION SHALL ALS O ADDRESS: 26
(I) STRENGTHENING SCHOOL CULTURE, CLIMATE, AND 27
COMMUNITY ; 28
4 SENATE BILL 654
(II) FOSTERING COOPERATION AND COORDINATION BET WEEN 1
NETWORKS; 2
(III) ENSURING STUDENTS IN CRISIS ARE SUPPORTED ; 3
(IV) REDUCING OUT –OF–SCHOOL SUSPENSIONS A ND 4
EXPULSIONS; 5
(V) INCREASING ACCESS TO AND KNOWLEDGE OF BEH AVIORAL 6
HEALTH SUPPORTS ; 7
(VI) REDUCING IN –SCHOOL VIOLENCE , GANG–RELATED 8
ACTIVITY, AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE ; 9
(VII) CULTIVATING POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS OF 10
UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN SCHOOL PERSONNEL , SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFI CERS, 11
SECURITY PERSONNEL , AND STUDENTS ; AND 12
(VIII) STRENGTHENING THE NET WORK OF SERVICES FOR 13
STUDENTS AND STAFF W HO ARE IN CRISIS. 14
(F) SUBJECT TO SUBSECTION (G) OF THIS SECTION, EACH NETWORK SHALL 15
COLLECTIVELY DEVELOP , COMPLETE, AND IMPLEMENT A PLAN UTILIZING THE 16
APPROVED COUNTY BOAR D TEMPLATE. 17
(G) (1) BEFORE IMPLEMENTING A PLAN IN ACCORDANCE W ITH 18
SUBSECTION (F) OF THIS SECTION , EACH NETWORK SHALL SUBMIT THE PLAN TO 19
THE COUNTY BOARD FOR APPROVAL. 20
(2) THE DEADLINE FOR SUBM ISSION SHALL BE DETE RMINED BY THE 21
COUNTY BOARD . 22
(H) ON OR BEFORE JULY 1, 2025, AND ON OR BEFORE EAC H JULY 1 23
THEREAFTER , EACH NETWORK SHALL REPORT THE RESULTS OF THE 24
IMPLEMENTATION OF TH E NETWORK’S PLAN TO THE COUNTY BOARD. 25
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 26
1, 2024. 27