Requiring school employee training and protocols relating to children’s mental health, requiring that suicide prevention information be included on secondary student identification cards, and including effective date and applicability provisions

This bill requires the board of education to adopt rules to require school districts to adopt protocols for children’s mental health supports based on nationally recognized best practices. The bill requires school boards to require by July 1, 2020, annual, evidence-based, evidence-supported training on mental health awareness for all school personnel who hold a license, certificate, authorization, or statement of recognition issued by the board of educational examiners and who have regular contact with students in kindergarten through grade 12. The content of the training shall be based on nationally recognized best practices. The bill requires that public schools that educate students in grades through to include on either side of identification cards issued to students the telephone number for the national suicide prevention lifeline and the crisis text line.3.2, subsection 3, which would relieve a political subdivision from complying with a state mandate if funding for the cost of the state mandate is not provided or specified. Therefore, political subdivisions are required to comply with any state mandate included in the bill. The bill authorizes emergency rulemaking to implement the bill. The bill applies to student identification cards issued on or after the effective date of the bill. A public school that has a supply of unused student identification cards shall utilize that supply prior to complying with the requirements of the bill relating to student identification cards. The bill takes effect upon enactment.