85R9705 GCB-D
By: Moody H.B. No. 3449
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to staff development requirements for public school
educators regarding mental health and suicide prevention.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 21.451(d), Education Code, is amended to
read as follows:
(d) The staff development:
(1) may include training in:
(A) technology;
(B) conflict resolution;
(C) discipline strategies, including classroom
management, district discipline policies, and the student code of
conduct adopted under Section 37.001 and Chapter 37; and
(D) preventing, identifying, responding to, and
reporting incidents of bullying;
(2) subject to Subsection (e) and to Section 21.3541
and rules adopted under that section, must include training that is
evidence-based [based on scientifically based research], as
defined by Section 8101, Every Student Succeeds Act [9101, No Child
Left Behind Act of 2001] (20 U.S.C. Section 7801), that:
(A) relates to instruction of students with
disabilities; and
(B) is designed for educators who work primarily
outside the area of special education; and
(3) must include three hours of training about mental
health issues, mental health care, and suicide prevention
[training] that must be provided:
(A) on an annual basis, as part of a new employee
orientation, to all new school district and open-enrollment charter
school educators; and
(B) to existing school district and
open-enrollment charter school educators on a schedule adopted by
the agency by rule.
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
Act takes effect September 1, 2017.