HB363 By Representative Hall RFD Education Policy Rd 1 31-MAR-15

SYNOPSIS: This bill would require K-12 schools to incorporate into health education curricula age-appropriate sexual abuse and assault awareness and prevention education and implement standards for training staff on sexual abuse and assault awareness and prevention.

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT

Relating to education; to amend Sections 16-28B-6 and 16-28B-8, Code of Alabama 1975, to require K-12 schools to incorporate into health education curricula age-appropriate sexual abuse and assault awareness and prevention education and implement standards for training staff on sexual abuse and assault awareness and prevention.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:Section 1. Sections 16-28B-6 and 16-28B-8, Code of Alabama 1975, are amended to read as follows:

§16-28B-6.

"Each school shall do all of the following:

"(1) Develop and implement evidence-based practices to promote a school environment that is free of harassment, intimidation, violence, and threats of violence.

"(2) Develop and implement evidence-based practices to prevent harassment, intimidation, violence, and threats of violence based, as a minimum, on the criteria established by this chapter and local board policy, and to intervene when such incidents occur.

"(3) Incorporate into civility, citizenship, and character education curricula awareness of and sensitivity to the prohibitions of this chapter and local board policy against harassment, intimidation, violence, and threats of violence.

"(4) Incorporate into health education curricula age-appropriate sexual abuse and assault awareness and prevention education.

"(4) (5) Report statistics to the local board of actual violence, submitted reports of threats of violence, and harassment. The local board shall provide the statistics of the school system and each school in the school system to the department for posting on the department website. The posted statistics shall be available to the public and any state or federal agency requiring the information. The identity of each student involved shall be protected and may not be posted on the department website.

§16-28B-8.

"To the extent that the Legislature shall appropriate funds, or to the extent that any local board may provide funds from other sources, each school system shall implement the following standards and policies for programs in an effort to prevent student suicide:

"(1) Foster individual, family, and group counseling services related to suicide prevention.

"(2) Make referral, crisis intervention, and other related information available for students, parents, and school personnel.

"(3) Foster training for school personnel who are responsible for counseling and supervising students, including training on sexual abuse and assault awareness and prevention.

"(4) Increase student awareness of the relationship between drug and alcohol use and suicide.

"(5) Educate students in recognizing signs of suicidal tendencies and other facts and warning signs of suicide.

"(6) Inform students of available community suicide prevention services.

"(7) Promote cooperative efforts between school personnel and community suicide prevention program personnel.

"(8) Foster school-based or community-based, or both, alternative programs outside of the classroom.

"(9) Develop a strategy to assist survivors of attempted suicide, students, and school personnel in coping with the issues relating to attempted suicide, suicide, the death of a student, and healing.

"(10) Engage in any other program or activity which the local board determines is appropriate and prudent in the efforts of the school system to prevent student suicide.

"(11) Provide training for school employees and volunteers who have significant contact with students on the local board policies to prevent harassment, intimidation, violence, and threats of violence.

"(12) Develop a process for discussing with students local board policies relating to the prevention of student suicide and to the prevention of harassment, intimidation, violence, and threats of violence."

Section 2. This act shall become effective on the first day of the third month following its passage and approval by the Governor, or its otherwise becoming law.

Sexual Abuse

Public Schools

Education

Code Amended