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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to certain school district staff development requirements |
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and including certain information regarding substance abuse and |
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suicidal tendencies in the essential knowledge and skills of the |
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public school health curriculum. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 21.451(d-1), Education Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(d-1) The training required by Subsection (d)(3): |
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(1) must: |
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(A) be provided: |
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(i) on an annual basis, as part of a new |
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employee orientation, to all new school district and |
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open-enrollment charter school educators; and |
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(ii) to existing school district and |
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open-enrollment charter school educators on a biennial basis |
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[schedule adopted by the agency by rule]; and |
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(B) use a best practice-based program |
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recommended by the Health and Human Services Commission in |
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coordination with the agency under Section 38.351; and |
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(2) may include two or more listed topics together. |
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SECTION 2. Section 28.002, Education Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsection (r) and adding Subsection (r-1) to read as |
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follows: |
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(r) In adopting the essential knowledge and skills for the |
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health curriculum under Subsection (a)(2)(B), the State Board of |
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Education shall adopt essential knowledge and skills that address: |
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(1) the science, risk factors, causes, dangers, |
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consequences, signs, symptoms, and treatment of substance abuse, |
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including: |
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(A) the use of illegal drugs; |
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(B) [,] abuse of prescription drugs; |
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(C) [,] abuse of alcohol such as by binge |
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drinking or other excessive drinking resulting in alcohol |
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poisoning; |
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(D) [,] inhaling solvents; [,] and |
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(E) other forms of substance abuse; |
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(2) the relationship between drug and alcohol use and |
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suicide; |
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(3) recognizing signs of suicidal tendencies and other |
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warning signs of suicide; and |
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(4) help-seeking behaviors and available community |
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suicide prevention services. |
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(r-1) The agency shall compile a list of evidence-based |
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substance abuse awareness programs from which a school district |
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shall choose a program to use in the district's middle school, |
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junior high school, and high school health curriculum. In this |
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subsection, "evidence-based substance abuse awareness program" |
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means a program, practice, or strategy that has been proven to |
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effectively prevent substance abuse among students, as determined |
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by evaluations that are evidence-based. |
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SECTION 3. This Act applies beginning with the 2021-2022 |
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school year. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |