H.B. 23

             1     

SUICIDE PREVENTION REVISIONS

             2     
2014 GENERAL SESSION

             3     
STATE OF UTAH

             4     
Chief Sponsor: Steve Eliason

             5     
Senate Sponsor: Howard A. Stephenson

             6     
             7      LONG TITLE
             8      Committee Note:
             9          The Education Interim Committee recommended this bill.
             10      General Description:
             11          This bill amends certain student survey and evaluation provisions related to public
             12      school suicide prevention.
             13      Highlighted Provisions:
             14          This bill:
             15          .    under certain circumstances, allows a school employee or agent to intervene and ask
             16      a student questions regarding the student's suicidal thoughts, self-harming behavior,
             17      or thoughts of harming others, for the purposes of:
             18              .    referring the student to appropriate prevention services; and
             19              .    informing the student's parent;
             20          .    requires a school district or charter school to develop a policy related to school
             21      employee intervention measures on or before September 1, 2014;
             22          .    allows school personnel to ask a student questions related to youth suicide
             23      prevention, intervention, or postvention as part of the school's suicide prevention
             24      program; and
             25          .    makes technical changes.
             26      Money Appropriated in this Bill:
             27          None


             28      Other Special Clauses:
             29          None
             30      Utah Code Sections Affected:
             31      AMENDS:
             32           53A-13-302 , as last amended by Laws of Utah 2013, Chapter 335
             33           53A-15-1301 , as enacted by Laws of Utah 2013, Chapter 194
             34     
             35      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             36          Section 1. Section 53A-13-302 is amended to read:
             37           53A-13-302. Activities prohibited without prior written consent -- Validity of
             38      consent -- Qualifications -- Training on implementation.
             39          (1) [Policies] Except as provided in Subsection (7), Section 53A-11a-203 , and Section
             40      53A-15-1301 , policies adopted by a school district or charter school under Section 53A-13-301
             41      shall include prohibitions on the administration to a student of any psychological or psychiatric
             42      examination, test, or treatment, or any survey, analysis, or evaluation without the prior written
             43      consent of the student's parent or legal guardian, in which the purpose or evident intended
             44      effect is to cause the student to reveal information, whether the information is personally
             45      identifiable or not, concerning the student's or any family member's:
             46          (a) political affiliations or, except as provided under Section 53A-13-101.1 or rules of
             47      the State Board of Education, political philosophies;
             48          (b) mental or psychological problems;
             49          (c) sexual behavior, orientation, or attitudes;
             50          (d) illegal, anti-social, self-incriminating, or demeaning behavior;
             51          (e) critical appraisals of individuals with whom the student or family member has close
             52      family relationships;
             53          (f) religious affiliations or beliefs;
             54          (g) legally recognized privileged and analogous relationships, such as those with
             55      lawyers, medical personnel, or ministers; and
             56          (h) income, except as required by law.
             57          (2) Prior written consent under Subsection (1) is required in all grades, kindergarten
             58      through grade 12.


             59          (3) Except as provided in Subsection (7), Section 53A-11a-203 , and Section
             60      53A-15-1301 , the prohibitions under Subsection (1) shall also apply within the curriculum and
             61      other school activities unless prior written consent of the student's parent or legal guardian has
             62      been obtained.
             63          (4) Written parental consent is valid only if a parent or legal guardian has been first
             64      given written notice, including notice that a copy of the educational or student survey questions
             65      to be asked of the student in obtaining the desired information is made available at the school,
             66      and a reasonable opportunity to obtain written information concerning:
             67          (a) records or information, including information about relationships, that may be
             68      examined or requested;
             69          (b) the means by which the records or information shall be examined or reviewed;
             70          (c) the means by which the information is to be obtained;
             71          (d) the purposes for which the records or information are needed;
             72          (e) the entities or persons, regardless of affiliation, who will have access to the
             73      personally identifiable information; and
             74          (f) a method by which a parent of a student can grant permission to access or examine
             75      the personally identifiable information.
             76          (5) (a) Except in response to a situation which a school employee reasonably believes
             77      to be an emergency, or as authorized under Title 62A, Chapter 4a, Part 4, Child Abuse or
             78      Neglect Reporting Requirements, or by order of a court, disclosure to a parent or legal guardian
             79      must be given at least two weeks before information protected under this section is sought.
             80          (b) Following disclosure, a parent or guardian may waive the two week minimum
             81      notification period.
             82          (c) Unless otherwise agreed to by a student's parent or legal guardian and the person
             83      requesting written consent, the authorization is valid only for the activity for which it was
             84      granted.
             85          (d) A written withdrawal of authorization submitted to the school principal by the
             86      authorizing parent or guardian terminates the authorization.
             87          (e) A general consent used to approve admission to school or involvement in special
             88      education, remedial education, or a school activity does not constitute written consent under
             89      this section.


             90          (6) (a) This section does not limit the ability of a student under Section 53A-13-101.3
             91      to spontaneously express sentiments or opinions otherwise protected against disclosure under
             92      this section.
             93          (b) (i) If a school employee or agent believes that a situation exists which presents a
             94      serious threat to the well-being of a student, that employee or agent shall notify the student's
             95      parent or guardian without delay.
             96          (ii) If, however, the matter has been reported to the Division of Child and Family
             97      Services within the Department of Human Services, it is the responsibility of the division to
             98      notify the student's parent or guardian of any possible investigation, prior to the student's return
             99      home from school.
             100          (iii) The division may be exempted from the notification requirements described in this
             101      Subsection (6)(b)(ii) only if it determines that the student would be endangered by notification
             102      of his parent or guardian, or if that notification is otherwise prohibited by state or federal law.
             103          (7) (a) If a school employee or agent believes a student is at-risk of attempting suicide,
             104      self-harming, or harming others, the school employee or agent may intervene and ask a student
             105      questions regarding the student's suicidal thoughts, self-harming behavior, or thoughts of
             106      harming others for the purposes of:
             107          (i) referring the student to appropriate prevention services; and
             108          (ii) informing the student's parent.
             109          (b) On or before September 1, 2014, a school district or charter school shall develop
             110      and adopt a policy regarding school employee intervention measures consistent with
             111      Subsection (7)(a).
             112          [(7)] (8) Local school boards and charter school governing boards shall provide
             113      inservice for teachers and administrators [within their respective school districts] on the
             114      implementation of this section.
             115          [(8)] (9) The board shall provide procedures for disciplinary action for violations of
             116      this section.
             117          Section 2. Section 53A-15-1301 is amended to read:
             118           53A-15-1301. Youth suicide prevention programs required in secondary schools
             119      -- State Board of Education to develop model programs -- Reporting requirements.
             120          (1) As used in the section:


             121          (a) "Board" means the State Board of Education.
             122          (b) "Intervention" means an effort to prevent a student from attempting suicide.
             123          (c) "Postvention" means mental health intervention after a suicide attempt or death to
             124      prevent or contain contagion.
             125          (d) "Program" means a youth suicide prevention program described in Subsection (2).
             126          (e) "Secondary grades":
             127          (i) means grades 7 through 12; and
             128          (ii) if a middle or junior high school includes grade 6, includes grade 6.
             129          (f) "State Office of Education suicide prevention coordinator" means a person
             130      designated by the board as described in Subsection (3).
             131          (g) "State suicide prevention coordinator" means the state suicide prevention
             132      coordinator described in Section 62A-15-1101 .
             133          (2) (a) In collaboration with the State Office of Education suicide prevention
             134      coordinator, a school district or charter school shall implement a youth suicide prevention
             135      program in the secondary grades of the school district or charter school.
             136          (b) A school district or charter school's program shall include the following
             137      components:
             138          (i) prevention of youth suicides;
             139          (ii) youth suicide intervention; and
             140          (iii) postvention for family, students, and faculty.
             141          (3) The board shall:
             142          (a) designate a State Office of Education suicide prevention coordinator; and
             143          (b) in collaboration with the Department of Heath and the state suicide prevention
             144      coordinator, develop model programs to provide to school districts and charter schools:
             145          (i) program training; and
             146          (ii) resources regarding the required components described in Subsection (2)(b).
             147          (4) The State Office of Education suicide prevention coordinator shall:
             148          (a) oversee the youth suicide prevention programs of school districts and charter
             149      schools; and
             150          (b) coordinate prevention and postvention programs, services, and efforts with the state
             151      suicide prevention coordinator.


             152          (5) A public school suicide prevention program may allow school personnel to ask a
             153      student questions related to youth suicide prevention, intervention, or postvention.
             154          [(5)] (6) Subject to legislative appropriation, the board may distribute money to a
             155      school district or charter school to be used to implement a program in the school district or
             156      charter school.
             157          [(6)] (7) (a) The board shall report to the Legislature's Education Interim Committee,
             158      by the November 2014 meeting, jointly with the state suicide prevention coordinator, on:
             159          (i) the progress of school district and charter school programs; and
             160          (ii) the board's coordination efforts with the Department of Health and the state suicide
             161      prevention coordinator.
             162          (b) School districts and charter schools shall provide to the board information that is
             163      necessary for the board's report to the Legislature's Education Interim Committee as required in
             164      Subsection [(6)] (7)(a).




Legislative Review Note
    as of 11-5-13 4:09 PM


Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel


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