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North Carolina House Bill H578

North Carolina 2025-2026 Regular Session

North Carolina House Bill H578 Compare Versions

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11 GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
22 SESSION 2025
3-H 1
4-HOUSE BILL 578
3+H D
4+HOUSE BILL DRH40345-NH-158A
5+
56
67
78 Short Title: The Jason Flatt Act of North Carolina. (Public)
8-Sponsors: Representatives Pickett, Lambeth, Hawkins, and Budd (Primary Sponsors).
9-For a complete list of sponsors, refer to the North Carolina General Assembly web site.
10-Referred to: Health, if favorable, Education - K-12, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and
11-Operations of the House
12-April 1, 2025
13-*H578 -v-1*
9+Sponsors: Representative Pickett.
10+Referred to:
11+
12+*DRH40345 -NH-158A*
1413 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
1514 AN ACT TO REQUIRE SUICIDE PREVENTION EDUCATION BE PART OF THE 2
1615 SCHOOL-BASED MENTAL HEALTH POLICY OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL. 3
1716 The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 4
1817 SECTION 1. G.S. 115C-376.5 reads as rewritten: 5
1918 "§ 115C-376.5. School-based mental health plan required. 6
2019 … 7
2120 (b) School-Based Mental Health Policy. – The State Board of Education shall adopt a 8
2221 school-based mental health policy that includes (i) minimum requirements for a school-based 9
2322 mental health plan for K-12 school units and (ii) a model mental health training program program, 10
2423 a suicide prevention education requirement, and model suicide risk referral protocol for K-12 11
2524 school units. Consistent with this section, the model mental health training program program, a 12
2625 suicide prevention education requirement, and model suicide risk referral protocol shall meet all 13
2726 of the following requirements: 14
2827 … 15
2928 (2) The model suicide risk referral protocol shall be provided to school personnel 16
3029 who work with students in grades six through 12 and provide both of the 17
3130 following: 18
3231 a. Guidelines on the identification of students at risk of suicide. 19
3332 b. Procedures and referral sources that address actions that should be 20
3433 taken to address students identified in accordance with this 21
3534 subdivision. 22
3635 (3) Suicide prevention education shall be provided to all licensed educators. The 23
3736 material will cover the educator's role in youth suicide awareness in more 24
3837 detail than the model mental health training. This training may be 25
3938 accomplished through self-review of suitable suicide prevention materials 26
4039 approved by the State Board of Education. The State Board of Education and 27
4140 the Department of Public Instruction shall make suicide prevention education 28
4241 materials available at no cost to K-12 school units. 29
4342 (c) School-Based Mental Health Plan. – Each K-12 school unit shall adopt a plan for 30
4443 promoting student mental health and well-being that includes, at a minimum, the following: 31
4544 (1) Minimum requirements for a school-based mental health plan established by 32
46-the State Board of Education pursuant to subsection (b) of this section. 33 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
47-Page 2 House Bill 578-First Edition
48-(2) A mental health training program program, a suicide prevention education 1
49-requirement, and a suicide risk referral protocol that are consistent with the 2
50-model programs developed by the State Board of Education pursuant to 3
51-subsection (b) of this section. 4
52-(d) Training and Protocol Requirements. – Each K-12 school unit shall provide its 5
53-adopted mental health training program program, a suicide prevention education requirement, 6
54-and suicide risk referral protocol to school personnel at no cost to the employee. Employees shall 7
55-receive an initial mental health training of at least six hours and subsequent mental health 8
56-trainings of at least two hours. The initial mental health training shall occur within the first six 9
57-months of employment. Subsequent mental health trainings shall occur in the following school 10
58-year and annually thereafter. Additionally, school personnel shall complete one hour of suicide 11
59-prevention education each year to coincide with subsequent mental health trainings. In the 12
60-discretion of the K-12 school unit, the initial mental health training may be waived in the event 13
61-the employee completed an initial mental health training at another K-12 school unit. School 14
62-personnel may meet mental health training and suicide prevention education requirements in any 15
63-of the following ways: 16
64-(1) Electronic delivery of instruction. 17
65-(2) Videoconferencing. 18
66-(3) Group, in-person training. 19
67-(4) Self-study. 20
68-(5) Completion of approved programs. 21
69-(e) Review and Update. – Beginning August 1, 2025, and every five years thereafter, the 22
70-Superintendent of Public Instruction shall review the State Board of Education's minimum 23
71-requirements for a school-based mental health plan, model mental health training program, 24
72-suicide prevention education, and model suicide risk referral protocol and recommend any 25
73-needed changes to the State Board of Education. The State Board shall update its policies to 26
74-reflect those recommendations and publish the updates to K-12 school units. A K-12 school unit 27
75-shall update its adopted school-based mental health plan in accordance with any updates provided 28
76-by the State Board. 29
77-(f) Reporting; State Audit. – By September 15 of each year, each K-12 school unit shall 30
78-report to the Department of Public Instruction on (i) the content of the school-based mental health 31
79-plan adopted in the unit, including the mental health training program program, a suicide 32
80-prevention education requirement, and suicide risk referral protocol, and (ii) prior school year 33
81-compliance with requirements of this section. The Department of Public Instruction may also 34
82-audit K-12 school units at appropriate times to ensure compliance with the requirements of this 35
83-section. The Department shall report the information it receives pursuant to this subsection to the 36
84-Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee and the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee 37
85-on Health and Human Services by December 15 of each year. 38
86-… 39
87-(h) Limitation of Civil Liability. – No governing body of a K-12 school unit, nor its 40
88-members, employees, designees, agents, or volunteers, shall be liable in civil damages to any 41
89-party for any loss or damage caused by any act or omission relating to the provision of, 42
90-participation in, or implementation of any component of a school-based mental health plan, 43
91-mental health training program, a suicide prevention education requirement, or suicide risk 44
92-referral protocol required by this section, unless that act or omission amounts to gross negligence, 45
93-wanton conduct, or intentional wrongdoing. Nothing in this section shall be construed to impose 46
94-any specific duty of care or standard of care on a K-12 school unit." 47
95-SECTION 2.(a) G.S. 115C-218.75(h) reads as rewritten: 48
96-"(h) School-Based Mental Health Plan Required. – A charter school shall adopt a 49
97-school-based mental health plan, including a mental health training program program, a suicide 50 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
98-House Bill 578-First Edition Page 3
99-prevention education requirement, and suicide risk referral protocol, in accordance with 1
100-G.S. 115C-376.5." 2
101-SECTION 2.(b) G.S. 115C-238.66(16) reads as rewritten: 3
102-"(16) School-based mental health plan required. – A regional school shall adopt a 4
103-school-based mental health plan, including a mental health training program 5
104-program, a suicide prevention education requirement, and suicide risk referral 6
105-protocol, in accordance with G.S. 115C-376.5." 7
106-SECTION 2.(c) G.S. 116-239.8(b)(18) reads as rewritten: 8
107-"(18) School-based mental health plan required. – A laboratory school shall adopt a 9
108-school-based mental health plan, including a mental health training program 10
109-program, a suicide prevention education requirement, and suicide risk referral 11
110-protocol, in accordance with G.S. 115C-376.5." 12
111-SECTION 3. This act is effective when it becomes law and applies beginning with 13
112-the 2025-2026 school year. 14
45+the State Board of Education pursuant to subsection (b) of this section. 33
46+(2) A mental health training program program, a suicide prevention education 34
47+requirement, and a suicide risk referral protocol that are consistent with the 35
48+H.B. 578
49+Mar 31, 2025
50+HOUSE PRINCIPAL CLERK General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
51+Page 2 DRH40345-NH-158A
52+model programs developed by the State Board of Education pursuant to 1
53+subsection (b) of this section. 2
54+(d) Training and Protocol Requirements. – Each K-12 school unit shall provide its 3
55+adopted mental health training program program, a suicide prevention education requirement, 4
56+and suicide risk referral protocol to school personnel at no cost to the employee. Employees shall 5
57+receive an initial mental health training of at least six hours and subsequent mental health 6
58+trainings of at least two hours. The initial mental health training shall occur within the first six 7
59+months of employment. Subsequent mental health trainings shall occur in the following school 8
60+year and annually thereafter. Additionally, school personnel shall complete one hour of suicide 9
61+prevention education each year to coincide with subsequent mental health trainings. In the 10
62+discretion of the K-12 school unit, the initial mental health training may be waived in the event 11
63+the employee completed an initial mental health training at another K-12 school unit. School 12
64+personnel may meet mental health training and suicide prevention education requirements in any 13
65+of the following ways: 14
66+(1) Electronic delivery of instruction. 15
67+(2) Videoconferencing. 16
68+(3) Group, in-person training. 17
69+(4) Self-study. 18
70+(5) Completion of approved programs. 19
71+(e) Review and Update. – Beginning August 1, 2025, and every five years thereafter, the 20
72+Superintendent of Public Instruction shall review the State Board of Education's minimum 21
73+requirements for a school-based mental health plan, model mental health training program, 22
74+suicide prevention education, and model suicide risk referral protocol and recommend any 23
75+needed changes to the State Board of Education. The State Board shall update its policies to 24
76+reflect those recommendations and publish the updates to K-12 school units. A K-12 school unit 25
77+shall update its adopted school-based mental health plan in accordance with any updates provided 26
78+by the State Board. 27
79+(f) Reporting; State Audit. – By September 15 of each year, each K-12 school unit shall 28
80+report to the Department of Public Instruction on (i) the content of the school-based mental health 29
81+plan adopted in the unit, including the mental health training program program, a suicide 30
82+prevention education requirement, and suicide risk referral protocol, and (ii) prior school year 31
83+compliance with requirements of this section. The Department of Public Instruction may also 32
84+audit K-12 school units at appropriate times to ensure compliance with the requirements of this 33
85+section. The Department shall report the information it receives pursuant to this subsection to the 34
86+Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee and the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee 35
87+on Health and Human Services by December 15 of each year. 36
88+… 37
89+(h) Limitation of Civil Liability. – No governing body of a K-12 school unit, nor its 38
90+members, employees, designees, agents, or volunteers, shall be liable in civil damages to any 39
91+party for any loss or damage caused by any act or omission relating to the provision of, 40
92+participation in, or implementation of any component of a school-based mental health plan, 41
93+mental health training program, a suicide prevention education requirement, or suicide risk 42
94+referral protocol required by this section, unless that act or omission amounts to gross negligence, 43
95+wanton conduct, or intentional wrongdoing. Nothing in this section shall be construed to impose 44
96+any specific duty of care or standard of care on a K-12 school unit." 45
97+SECTION 2.(a) G.S. 115C-218.75(h) reads as rewritten: 46
98+"(h) School-Based Mental Health Plan Required. – A charter school shall adopt a 47
99+school-based mental health plan, including a mental health training program program, a suicide 48
100+prevention education requirement, and suicide risk referral protocol, in accordance with 49
101+G.S. 115C-376.5." 50
102+SECTION 2.(b) G.S. 115C-238.66(16) reads as rewritten: 51 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
103+DRH40345-NH-158A Page 3
104+"(16) School-based mental health plan required. – A regional school shall adopt a 1
105+school-based mental health plan, including a mental health training program 2
106+program, a suicide prevention education requirement, and suicide risk referral 3
107+protocol, in accordance with G.S. 115C-376.5." 4
108+SECTION 2.(c) G.S. 116-239.8(b)(18) reads as rewritten: 5
109+"(18) School-based mental health plan required. – A laboratory school shall adopt a 6
110+school-based mental health plan, including a mental health training program 7
111+program, a suicide prevention education requirement, and suicide risk referral 8
112+protocol, in accordance with G.S. 115C-376.5." 9
113+SECTION 3. This act is effective when it becomes law and applies beginning with 10
114+the 2025-2026 school year. 11