Strengthening Mental Health and School Climate

May 29, 2019

The House of Representatives pass the following pieces of legislation:

HB 5444, AN ACT REQUIRING LICENSURE OF ART THERAPISTS

The bill would provide an additional level of mental health treatment to properly trained and licensed art therapists. This additional treatment has proven to be therapeutic and healing for victims of traumatic events, the elderly and those with intellectual disability.

HB 7125, AN ACT CONCERNING SCHOOL CLIMATES

The bill would make numerous changes to the laws related to school bullying and safe school climate. These include:

  1. Require local and regional boards of education to develop safe school climate policies
  2. Require schools to assess school climate
  3. Require the Department of Education to develop a social and emotional learning assessment instrument
  4. Establish the duties of a safe school climate coordinator
  5. Require local and regional boards of education to establish a social and emotional learning and school climate council in place of the existing safe school climate committee
  6. Require the Department of Education to develop a model safe school climate policy
  7. Require local and regional boards of education to provide training on the prevention of and intervention in discrimination against and targeted harassment of students.

These bills will now be voted by the Senate.