STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________

4879--B

2023-2024 Regular Sessions

IN ASSEMBLY

February 24, 2023 ___________

Introduced by M. of A. KELLES, COLTON, CRUZ, TAYLOR, SIMON, SAYEGH, EPSTEIN, BURDICK, DAVILA, ZACCARO -- read once and referred to the Committee on Education -- recommitted to the Committee on Education in accordance with Assembly Rule 3, sec. 2 -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said commit- tee -- again reported from said committee with amendments, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee

AN ACT to amend the education law and the mental hygiene law, in relation to requiring training for teachers, administrators and instructors in the area of mental health response training

The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows:

1 Section 1. Section 3004 of the education law is amended by adding two 2 new subdivisions 7 and 8 to read as follows: 3 7. No later than twelve months after the effective date of this subdi- 4 vision, the commissioner, in conjunction with the office of mental 5 health, shall require the training of teachers, administrators, and 6 instructors in the area of mental health response training. Such mental 7 health response training shall include instruction in: 8 a. the recognition of the signs and symptoms of present or developing 9 mental health crises or illnesses; 10 b. the awareness of and appropriate response to mental health crises 11 including but not limited to attempted suicide or suicidal ideation, the 12 threat or practice of self-harm or harm to others, substance use disor- 13 ders, depression, anxiety and panic attacks, and other mental health 14 crises or illnesses, in keeping with standards promulgated by the Ameri- 15 can Academy of Mental Health and as determined by the commissioner; 16 c. identifying and sharing information, as determined by the commis- 17 sioner but which shall include but not be limited to, about mental 18 health professionals, services and resources, the role of familial and 19 social supports for the prevention, treatment, and recovery from mental

EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD09669-06-4

A. 4879--B 2

1 illness, and the importance of diet, nutrition, exercise, and regular 2 socialization in the management of stress, anxiety, depression and 3 addiction or other such mental health crises and illnesses. 4 8. Mental health response training shall not include training in the 5 diagnosis, treatment, or counseling of students, peers, or members of 6 the community. Nothing in this section shall be deemed to allow a 7 person to provide any service for which a license, registration, certif- 8 ication or other authorization under title eight of the education law is 9 required and which the person does not possess. The commissioner is 10 authorized to promulgate rules and regulations necessary to establish 11 such training pursuant to this section. 12 § 2. Section 7.07 of the mental hygiene law is amended by adding a new 13 subdivision (i) to read as follows: 14 (i) The office of mental health shall advise and assist the commis- 15 sioner of education in developing a training curriculum for teachers, 16 administrators, and instructors in the area of mental health response 17 training as described in section three thousand four of the education 18 law. 19 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.