| Chapter 131 |
| 2021 -- S 0031 Enacted 07/02/2021 |
| A N A C T |
| RELATING TO EDUCATION -- SUICIDE PREVENTION--THE NATHAN BRUNO AND JASON FLATT ACT |
Introduced By: Senators Seveney, Euer, DiPalma, Miller, Coyne, and Goodwin |
| Date Introduced: January 19, 2021 |
| It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: |
| SECTION 1. Title 16 of the General Laws entitled "EDUCATION" is hereby amended by |
| adding thereto the following chapter: |
| CHAPTER 21.7 |
| THE NATHAN BRUNO AND JASON FLATT ACT |
| 16-21.7-1. Short title. |
| This act shall be known and may be cited as "The Nathan Bruno and Jason Flatt Act." |
| 16-21.7-2. Training. |
| (a) The department of education shall adopt rules and regulations supporting suicide |
| awareness and prevention training each year for public school personnel and students. |
| (b)(1) Training shall be required of all personnel hired or contracted by the school district, |
| including, but not limited to,: teachers, administration, custodians, lunch personnel, substitutes, |
| nurses, coaches and coaching staff, even if volunteers. The training shall occur every year. |
| (2) Training shall be required of all students starting in grade six (6) and through grade |
| twelve (12) each academic year. |
| (c) Training may be provided within the framework of existing in-service training |
| programs offered by the department of education or as part of professional development activities. |
| (d)(1) The department of education shall, in consultation with the department of health, |
| department of behavioral healthcare, developmental disabilities and hospitals, education and health |
| care healthcare stakeholders, mental health care healthcare stakeholders, and suicide prevention |
| experts, develop a list of approved training materials to fulfill the requirements of this chapter. |
| (2) This list shall be fully evaluated and updated at least every three (3) years. |
| (3) Approved training materials and instruction shall include training on how to identify |
| appropriate mental health services both within the school and the larger community, and when and |
| how to refer youth and their families to those services. These materials and instruction are to be |
| given by qualified suicide prevention instructors as determined by the listed entities and groups |
| listed in subsection (d)(1) of this section. |
| 16-21.7-3. Student suicide prevention policy. |
| (a) Each public school district shall adopt a policy on student suicide prevention. This |
| policy shall, at a minimum, address procedures relating to suicide prevention, intervention, and |
| postvention. For the purposes of this chapter, "postvention" means counseling, or other social care |
| given to students after another student's suicide or attempted suicide. Postvention also means |
| counseling to students that have made a suicide attempt or have reported ideation,; this counseling |
| shall consist of regular check-ins. For the purposes of this chapter, “regular” means a frequency as |
| determined by a licensed mental health professional. |
| (b) To assist school districts in developing policies for student suicide prevention, the |
| department of education shall develop and maintain a model policy, or adopt an existing policy as |
| a model policy, to serve as a guide for school districts in accordance with this chapter to include, |
| but not limited to,: parental notification procedures, clarification of engagement with student |
| support personnel, and language defining an in-school issue compared to an out-of-school issue. |
| 16-21.7-4. Protection from litigation. |
| (a) No person shall have a cause of action for any loss or damage caused by any act or |
| omission resulting from the implementation of the provisions of this chapter or resulting from any |
| training required by this chapter, or lack thereof, unless caused by willful or wanton misconduct. |
| (b) The training required by the provisions of this chapter, or lack thereof, shall not be |
| construed to impose any specific duty of care except as expressly provided for herein. |
| SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. |
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| LC000368 |
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