| |
| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to establishment of a suicide prevention program for |
|
|
public high schools. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Subchapter Z, Chapter 29, Education Code, is |
|
|
amended by adding Section 29.920 to read as follows: |
|
|
Sec. 29.920. SUICIDE PREVENTION. (a) The agency, in |
|
|
coordination with the Department of State Health Services, shall |
|
|
develop a comprehensive suicide prevention program for |
|
|
implementation in public high schools. |
|
|
(b) The program must include components that provide for |
|
|
training high school counselors, teachers, nurses, administrators, |
|
|
and other staff, as well as law enforcement officers and social |
|
|
workers who regularly interact with high school students, to: |
|
|
(1) recognize students at risk of committing suicide; |
|
|
and |
|
|
(2) intervene effectively with those students by |
|
|
providing all appropriate assistance, including referrals for |
|
|
mental health services. |
|
|
(c) In developing the program, the agency and the Department |
|
|
of State Health Services may consider any existing suicide |
|
|
prevention method developed by a school district under Section |
|
|
11.252(a)(3)(B) or 33.006(b)(1)(A). |
|
|
(d) The agency may solicit and accept a gift, grant, or |
|
|
donation from any source for the development and implementation of |
|
|
the program required by this section. |
|
|
(e) Not later than January 1, 2011, the agency shall submit |
|
|
a report to the legislature relating to the development and |
|
|
implementation of the program required by this section. This |
|
|
subsection expires September 1, 2011. |
|
|
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
|
|
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
|
|
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
|
|
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
|
|
Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |