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.