Bill Text: NY S05704 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced


Bill Title: Relates to mandatory continuing education for teachers relating to mental health issues.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 4-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-01-08 - REFERRED TO MENTAL HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES [S05704 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-S05704-Introduced.html



                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          5704

                               2019-2020 Regular Sessions

                    IN SENATE

                                      May 13, 2019
                                       ___________

        Introduced by Sen. SEPULVEDA -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
          printed to be committed to the Committee on Mental Health and Develop-
          mental Disabilities

        AN  ACT  to  amend  the  mental  hygiene  law  and the education law, in
          relation to mandatory continuing education for  teachers  relating  to
          mental health issues

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

     1    Section 1. Section 7.23 of the mental hygiene law is amended by adding
     2  a new subdivision (d) to read as follows:
     3    (d) The commissioner in consultation with the office of alcoholism and
     4  substance abuse services, the department of health and with the  commis-
     5  sioner of the department of education, shall develop course materials to
     6  be  offered as part of the required continuing teacher and leader educa-
     7  tion requirements pursuant to paragraph a of subdivision two of  section
     8  three thousand six-a of the education law.  Such training shall include,
     9  but not be limited to:
    10    1. continuing education courses;
    11    2. programs and activities related to mental health;
    12    3. eating disorders;
    13    4. behavioral health disorders;
    14    5. best practices for improving the overall learning environment;
    15    6. safe de-escalation of crisis situations;
    16    7.  identifying  signs  and symptoms, including early stages of mental
    17  illness and behavioral health issues; and
    18    8. the use of evidence based  training  programs  including,  but  not
    19  limited to, mental health first aid or core elements of such programs to
    20  the extent practicable.
    21    §  2.  Paragraph a of subdivision 2 of section 3006-a of the education
    22  law, as added by section 2 of subpart C of part EE of chapter 56 of  the
    23  laws of 2015, is amended to read as follows:

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD08879-01-9

        S. 5704                             2

     1    a.  During  each  five-year  registration period beginning on or after
     2  July first, two thousand sixteen, an applicant  for  registration  shall
     3  successfully  complete  a  minimum  of  one  hundred hours of continuing
     4  teacher and leader education, as defined  by  the  commissioner.    Such
     5  continuing  teacher  and  leader education shall include, at least twice
     6  during the five-year registration period, but not be limited to continu-
     7  ing  education  courses,  programs  and  activities  related  to  mental
     8  illness, eating disorders and behavioral health disorders as pursuant to
     9  paragraph  d  of  section 7.23 of the mental hygiene law. The department
    10  shall issue rigorous standards for courses, programs, and  activities[,]
    11  that  shall  qualify as continuing teacher and leader education pursuant
    12  to this section. For purposes of this section, a peer review teacher, or
    13  a principal acting as an independent  trained  evaluator,  conducting  a
    14  classroom  observation as part of the teacher evaluation system pursuant
    15  to section three thousand twelve-d of this article may credit such  time
    16  towards  his or her continuing teacher and leader effectiveness require-
    17  ments.
    18    § 3. The commissioner of education is  authorized  to  promulgate  any
    19  rules and regulations necessary to carry out the provisions of this act.
    20    §  4. This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeed-
    21  ing the date on which it shall have become a law.  Effective immediately
    22  the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or  regulation  neces-
    23  sary  for  the  implementation  of  this  act  on its effective date are
    24  authorized to be made and completed on or before such date.
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