NY State Senate Bill S5546A

senate Bill S5546A

2015-2016 Legislative Session

Relates to the adoption of instruction in mental health in junior and senior high schools and to provide school districts with current information on drug abuse issues

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Archive: Last Bill Status - Passed Senate

Introduced
In Committee
On Floor Calendar
- Passed Senate
- Passed Assembly
Delivered to Governor
Signed/Vetoed by Governor

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Actions

view actions (9)

	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
May 17, 2016	referred to education delivered to assembly passed senate
May 16, 2016	ordered to third reading cal.846 committee discharged and committed to rules
Feb 04, 2016	print number 5546a
Feb 04, 2016	amend and recommit to education
Jan 06, 2016	referred to education
May 14, 2015	referred to education

Votes

Bill Amendments

Original

A (Active)

Original

A (Active)

Co-Sponsors

S5546 - Details

Law Section:: Education Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §305, Ed L

S5546 - Summary

Relates to requiring the commissioner of education to make recommendations to the board of regents relating to the adoption of instruction in mental health in junior and senior high schools and to provide school districts with current information on drug abuse issues.

S5546 - Sponsor Memo

BILL NUMBER:S5546

TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the education law, in relation to requiring the commis-
sioner of education to make recommendations to the board of regents
relating to the adoption of instruction in mental health in junior and
senior high schools and to provide school districts with current infor-
mation on drug abuse issues

PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

To have the education commissioner make up to date recommendations
relating to the instruction of mental health, alcohol, drug and tobacco
use in junior and senior high schools.

SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Section 1 requires the commissioner to make recommendations to the board
of regents relating to the adoption of instruction in mental health in
junior and senior high schools, AFTER receiving recommendations from:

(i) teachers, school administrators, teacher educators, school psychol-
ogists, school social workers and others with educational expertise in
the proposed curriculum.

(ii) parents, students and other interested parties

(iii) consideration is given to the time this curriculum will require

(iv) consideration of fiscal impacts are determined

(V) consideration is given to the relevance, based on current, compara-
ble course work.

(vi) consideration is given by any additional factors that the commis-
sioner deems relevant.

The commissioner shall have 180 days after this effective date to
provide recommendations to the board of regents.

The board shall have 60 days from receiving such recommendation to
accept or reject the commissioners recommendation.  The commissioner
shall provide, on a biennial basis, school districts with educational
information of current drug abuse issues in order to ensure a relevant
curriculum.

Section 2 sets forth the effective date.

JUSTIFICATION:

Current law requires the New York State Board of Regents to create a
curriculum that promotes mutual respect and understanding of people with
disabilities to elementary students. With the number of individuals
being diagnosed with a mental health illness on the rise, even among
children, it is necessary to consider including instruction on mental
health as part of the health curriculum in all of New York state's
junior and senior high schools.

In New York, over 300,000 youth live with a serious mental health condi-
tion that significantly impairs their daily function. It is important
that students be taught about mental health illness and stop the stigma
that goes along with a diagnosis. By not talking about conditions like
depression, eating disorders and PTSD, we do our young people a disser-
vice. This bill would allow the commissioner the opportunity to make
recommendations to the board of regents as to the type of curriculum
required, how much time of instruction might be necessary, consider the
fiscal impact to school districts and get feedback from a variety of
stakeholders. By ensuring that our young people are educated about
mental health, the connections these illnesses can have to alcohol, drug
and tobacco abuse, we can increase the likelihood that they will be able
to more effectively recognize signs in themselves and others.

A component of this bill is to ensure that school districts are provided
with up to date information in regards to current drug abuse issues. How
and when students are taught drug about the dangers of drug addiction is
extremely important. Other than at home, school is seen as the primary
place adolescents addiction and its impacts.  Drug usage and types of
drugs come in waves. In the 80's and 90's crack and cocaine were the
commonly used drugs. In the early 2000's we saw a rise in bath salts
usage. Now we are in the era of a heroin epidemic.

In Monroe, Livingston, Chemung, Ontario, Orleans, Steuben and Wyoming
Counties, heroin killed 65 people in 2013. This was a huge spike
compared to 29 in 2012 and only 11 in all of 2011. This issue is not
only a regional issue, but a state wide issue. With the significant
increase in heroin overdoses over the past few years, it is clear that
we need to educate our students on the issue.

It is important that our educational institutions are consistently stay-
ing up to date on current drug abuse issues, in order to best serve our
students and help prevent drug addiction. The language of this legis-
lation provides flexibility as to what drug abuse issues are to be
taught in the classroom. Yesterday was crack, today is heroin, tomorrow
it could be something else. Allowing the commissioner to provide infor-
mation on current drug abuse issues will allow the curriculum to evolve
and remain relevant.

The law should provide flexibility to allow the commissioner to respond
to the changing needs of the educational community to provide students
with the tools and resources to live healthy lives, as it will only
serve to improve educational performance and student outcomes.

PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New Bill

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

To be determined

EFFECTIVE DATE:

This act shall take effect immediately.

S5546 - Bill Text download pdf

                    S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                  5546

                       2015-2016 Regular Sessions

                            I N  S E N A T E

                              May 14, 2015
                               ___________

Introduced  by  Sen.  FUNKE  -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
  printed to be committed to the Committee on Education

AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to requiring the  commis-
  sioner  of  education  to make recommendations to the board of regents
  relating to the adoption of instruction in mental health in junior and
  senior high schools and  to  provide  school  districts  with  current
  information on drug abuse issues

  THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section 1. Section 305 of the education law is amended by  adding  two
new subdivisions 53 and 54 to read as follows:
  53.  A.  THE  COMMISSIONER  SHALL MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE BOARD OF
REGENTS RELATING TO THE ADOPTION OF  INSTRUCTION  IN  MENTAL  HEALTH  IN
JUNIOR AND SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLS.
  B.  PRIOR  TO  MAKING THE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE BOARD OF REGENTS, THE
COMMISSIONER SHALL:
  (I) SEEK  THE  RECOMMENDATIONS  OF  TEACHERS,  SCHOOL  ADMINISTRATORS,
TEACHER  EDUCATORS,  SCHOOL  PSYCHOLOGISTS,  SCHOOL  SOCIAL  WORKERS AND
OTHERS WITH EDUCATIONAL EXPERTISE IN THE PROPOSED CURRICULUM;
  (II) SEEK COMMENT FROM PARENTS, STUDENTS AND OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES;
  (III) CONSIDER THE AMOUNT OF INSTRUCTIONAL TIME SUCH  CURRICULUM  WILL
REQUIRE  AND WHETHER SUCH TIME WOULD DETRACT FROM OTHER MANDATED COURSES
OF STUDY;
  (IV) CONSIDER THE FISCAL IMPACT, IF  ANY,  ON  THE  STATE  AND  SCHOOL
DISTRICTS;
  (V)  CONSIDER  THE  RELEVANCE  OF  EXISTING  REGULATIONS PERTAINING TO
MENTAL HEALTH AS PART OF THE SCHOOL HEALTH CURRICULUM AS IT  RELATES  TO
THE CURRENT UNDERSTANDING OF MENTAL HEALTH AS AN INTEGRAL PART OF HEALTH
AND  THE  RELATIONSHIP  OF  MENTAL HEALTH TO THE INSTRUCTION OF ALCOHOL,
DRUGS AND TOBACCO; AND
  (VI) CONSIDER ANY ADDITIONAL FACTORS THE COMMISSIONER DEEMS RELEVANT.

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD10837-02-5

S. 5546                             2

  C. NO LATER THAN ONE HUNDRED EIGHTY DAYS AFTER THE EFFECTIVE  DATE  OF
THIS SUBDIVISION, THE COMMISSIONER SHALL PROVIDE A RECOMMENDATION TO THE
BOARD  OF  REGENTS  TO EITHER ADOPT AND PROMULGATE APPROPRIATE RULES AND
REGULATIONS IMPLEMENTING SUCH CURRICULUM OR REJECT THE IMPLEMENTATION OF
SUCH  CURRICULUM. UPON RECEIVING A RECOMMENDATION FROM THE COMMISSIONER,
PURSUANT TO THIS SUBDIVISION, THE BOARD OF REGENTS SHALL VOTE TO  EITHER
ACCEPT  OR  REJECT THE COMMISSIONER'S RECOMMENDATION NO LATER THAN SIXTY
DAYS AFTER RECEIVING SUCH RECOMMENDATION.
  D. IF THE BOARD OF REGENTS  ADOPTS  SUCH  CURRICULUM,  THE  CURRICULUM
REQUIREMENT  SHALL  TAKE EFFECT NO LATER THAN THE NEXT SCHOOL YEAR AFTER
SUCH CURRICULUM HAS BEEN ADOPTED.
  E. IF THE BOARD OF REGENTS REJECTS SUCH CURRICULUM,  THE  COMMISSIONER
SHALL  PROVIDE  A  REPORT  AS  TO  THE DETERMINATION OF THE BOARD TO THE
GOVERNOR, THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE  SENATE,  THE  SPEAKER  OF  THE
ASSEMBLY  AND THE CHAIRS OF THE SENATE AND ASSEMBLY COMMITTEES ON EDUCA-
TION PROVIDING THE REASONS FOR SUCH REJECTION NOT LATER THAN THIRTY DAYS
AFTER THE BOARD OF REGENTS REJECTS SUCH CURRICULUM.
  54.  THE  COMMISSIONER  SHALL  ON  A  BIENNIAL  BASIS  PROVIDE  SCHOOL
DISTRICTS  WITH  EDUCATIONAL  INFORMATION RELATING TO CURRENT DRUG ABUSE
ISSUES IN ORDER TO ENSURE INSTRUCTION PROVIDED PURSUANT  TO  SUBDIVISION
THREE  OF  SECTION  EIGHT  HUNDRED  FOUR OF THIS CHAPTER IS RELEVANT AND
CURRENT.
  S 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

Co-Sponsors

S5546A (ACTIVE) - Details

Law Section:: Education Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §305, Ed L

S5546A (ACTIVE) - Summary

S5546A (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

 BILL NUMBER:  S5546A

 TITLE OF BILL :

An act to amend the education law, in relation to requiring the
commissioner of education to make recommendations to the board of
regents relating to the adoption of instruction in mental health in
junior and senior high schools and to provide school districts with
current information on drug abuse issues

 PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL :

To have the education commissioner make up to date recommendations
relating to the instruction of mental health, alcohol, drug and
tobacco use in junior and senior high schools.

 SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS :

Section 1 requires the commissioner to make recommendations to the
board of regents relating to the adoption of instruction in mental
health in junior and senior high schools, AFTER receiving
recommendations from:

(i) teachers, school administrators, teacher educators, school
psychologists, school social workers and others with educational
expertise in the proposed curriculum.

(ii) parents, students and other interested parties

(iii) consideration is given to the time this curriculum will require

(iv) consideration of fiscal impacts are determined

(V) consideration is given to the relevance, based on current,
comparable course work.

(vi) consideration is given by any additional factors that the
commissioner deems relevant.

The commissioner shall have 180 days after this effective date to
provide recommendations to the board of regents.

The board shall have 60 days from receiving such recommendation to
accept or reject the commissioners recommendation. The commissioner
shall provide, on a biennial basis, school districts with educational
information of current drug abuse issues in order to ensure a relevant
curriculum.

Section 2 sets forth the effective date.

 JUSTIFICATION :

Current law requires the New York State Board of Regents to create a
curriculum that promotes mutual respect and understanding of people
with disabilities to elementary students. With the number of
individuals being diagnosed with a mental health illness on the rise,
even among children, it is necessary to consider including instruction
on mental health as part of the health curriculum in all of New York
state's junior and senior high schools.

In New York, over 300,000 youth live with a serious mental health
condition that significantly impairs their daily function. It is
important that students be taught. about mental health illness and
stop the stigma that goes along with a diagnosis. By not talking about
conditions like depression, eating disorders and PTSD, we do our young
people a disservice. This bill would allow the commissioner the
opportunity to make recommendations to the board of regents as to the
type of curriculum required, how much time of instruction might be
necessary, consider the fiscal impact to school districts and get
feedback from a variety of stakeholders. By ensuring that our young
people are educated about mental health, the connections these
illnesses can have to alcohol, drug and tobacco abuse, we can increase
the likelihood that they will be able to more effectively recognize
signs in themselves and others.

A component of this bill is to ensure that school districts are
provided with up to date information in regards to current drug abuse
issues. How and when students are taught drug about the dangers of
drug addiction is extremely important. Other than at home, school is
seen as the primary place adolescents addiction and its impacts. Drug
usage and types of drugs come in waves. In the 80's and 90's crack and
cocaine were the commonly used drugs. In the early 2000's we saw a
rise in bath salts usage. Now we are in the era of a heroin epidemic.

In Monroe, Livingston, Chemung, Ontario, Orleans, Steuben and Wyoming
Counties, heroin killed 65 people in 2013. This was a huge spike
compared to 29 in 2012 and only 11 in all of 2011. This issue is not
only a regional issue, but a state wide issue. With the significant
increase in heroin overdoses over the past few years, it is clear that
we need to educate our students on the issue.

It is important that our educational institutions are consistently
staying up to date on current drug abuse issues, in order to best
serve our students and help prevent drug addiction. The language of
this legislation provides flexibility as to what drug abuse issues are
to be taught in the classroom. Yesterday was crack, today is heroin,
tomorrow it could be something else. Allowing the commissioner to
provide information on current drug abuse issues will allow the
curriculum to evolve and remain relevant.

The law should provide flexibility to allow the commissioner to
respond to the changing needs of the educational community to provide
students with the tools and resources to live healthy lives, as it
will only serve to improve educational performance and student
outcomes.

 PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY :

New Bill

 FISCAL IMPLICATIONS :

To be determined

 EFFECTIVE DATE :
This act shall take effect immediately.

S5546A (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                    S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                 5546--A

                       2015-2016 Regular Sessions

                            I N  S E N A T E

                              May 14, 2015
                               ___________

Introduced  by  Sens. FUNKE, HAMILTON, KENNEDY -- read twice and ordered
  printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee  on  Educa-
  tion  --  recommitted to the Committee on Education in accordance with
  Senate Rule 6, sec. 8 -- committee discharged, bill  amended,  ordered
  reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee

AN  ACT to amend the education law, in relation to requiring the commis-
  sioner of education to make recommendations to the  board  of  regents
  relating to the adoption of instruction in mental health in junior and
  senior  high  schools  and  to  provide  school districts with current
  information on drug abuse issues

  THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section  1.  Section 305 of the education law is amended by adding two
new subdivisions 55 and 56 to read as follows:
  55. A. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS  TO  THE  BOARD  OF
REGENTS  RELATING  TO  THE  ADOPTION  OF INSTRUCTION IN MENTAL HEALTH IN
JUNIOR AND SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLS.
  B. PRIOR TO MAKING THE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE BOARD  OF  REGENTS,  THE
COMMISSIONER SHALL:
  (I)  SEEK  THE  RECOMMENDATIONS  OF  TEACHERS,  SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS,
TEACHER EDUCATORS,  SCHOOL  PSYCHOLOGISTS,  SCHOOL  SOCIAL  WORKERS  AND
OTHERS WITH EDUCATIONAL EXPERTISE IN THE PROPOSED CURRICULUM;
  (II) SEEK COMMENT FROM PARENTS, STUDENTS AND OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES;
  (III)  CONSIDER  THE AMOUNT OF INSTRUCTIONAL TIME SUCH CURRICULUM WILL
REQUIRE AND WHETHER SUCH TIME WOULD DETRACT FROM OTHER MANDATED  COURSES
OF STUDY;
  (IV)  CONSIDER  THE  FISCAL  IMPACT,  IF  ANY, ON THE STATE AND SCHOOL
DISTRICTS;
  (V) CONSIDER THE  RELEVANCE  OF  EXISTING  REGULATIONS  PERTAINING  TO
MENTAL  HEALTH  AS PART OF THE SCHOOL HEALTH CURRICULUM AS IT RELATES TO
THE CURRENT UNDERSTANDING OF MENTAL HEALTH AS AN INTEGRAL PART OF HEALTH

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD10837-03-6

S. 5546--A                          2

AND THE RELATIONSHIP OF MENTAL HEALTH TO  THE  INSTRUCTION  OF  ALCOHOL,
DRUGS AND TOBACCO; AND
  (VI) CONSIDER ANY ADDITIONAL FACTORS THE COMMISSIONER DEEMS RELEVANT.
  C.  NO  LATER THAN ONE HUNDRED EIGHTY DAYS AFTER THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF
THIS SUBDIVISION, THE COMMISSIONER SHALL PROVIDE A RECOMMENDATION TO THE
BOARD OF REGENTS TO EITHER ADOPT AND PROMULGATE  APPROPRIATE  RULES  AND
REGULATIONS IMPLEMENTING SUCH CURRICULUM OR REJECT THE IMPLEMENTATION OF
SUCH  CURRICULUM. UPON RECEIVING A RECOMMENDATION FROM THE COMMISSIONER,
PURSUANT TO THIS SUBDIVISION, THE BOARD OF REGENTS SHALL VOTE TO  EITHER
ACCEPT  OR  REJECT THE COMMISSIONER'S RECOMMENDATION NO LATER THAN SIXTY
DAYS AFTER RECEIVING SUCH RECOMMENDATION.
  D. IF THE BOARD OF REGENTS  ADOPTS  SUCH  CURRICULUM,  THE  CURRICULUM
REQUIREMENT  SHALL  TAKE EFFECT NO LATER THAN THE NEXT SCHOOL YEAR AFTER
SUCH CURRICULUM HAS BEEN ADOPTED.
  E. IF THE BOARD OF REGENTS REJECTS SUCH CURRICULUM,  THE  COMMISSIONER
SHALL  PROVIDE  A  REPORT  AS  TO  THE DETERMINATION OF THE BOARD TO THE
GOVERNOR, THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE  SENATE,  THE  SPEAKER  OF  THE
ASSEMBLY  AND THE CHAIRS OF THE SENATE AND ASSEMBLY COMMITTEES ON EDUCA-
TION PROVIDING THE REASONS FOR SUCH REJECTION NOT LATER THAN THIRTY DAYS
AFTER THE BOARD OF REGENTS REJECTS SUCH CURRICULUM.
  56.  THE  COMMISSIONER  SHALL  ON  A  BIENNIAL  BASIS  PROVIDE  SCHOOL
DISTRICTS  WITH  EDUCATIONAL  INFORMATION RELATING TO CURRENT DRUG ABUSE
ISSUES IN ORDER TO ENSURE INSTRUCTION PROVIDED PURSUANT  TO  SUBDIVISION
THREE  OF  SECTION  EIGHT  HUNDRED  FOUR OF THIS CHAPTER IS RELEVANT AND
CURRENT.
  S 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

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The New York State Senate

senate Bill S5546A

Sponsored By

Archive: Last Bill Status - Passed Senate

Your Voice

Actions

Votes

May 17, 2016 - floor Vote

Floor Vote: May 17, 2016

May 16, 2016 - Rules committee Vote

Rules Committee Vote: May 16, 2016

Bill Amendments

Co-Sponsors

S5546 - Details

S5546 - Summary

S5546 - Sponsor Memo

S5546 - Bill Text download pdf

Co-Sponsors

S5546A (ACTIVE) - Details

S5546A (ACTIVE) - Summary

S5546A (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

S5546A (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments

senate Bill S5546A

Share this bill

Sponsored By

Archive: Last Bill Status - Passed Senate

Your Voice

Actions

Votes

May 17, 2016 - floor Vote

Floor Vote: May 17, 2016

May 16, 2016 - Rules committee Vote

Rules Committee Vote: May 16, 2016

Bill Amendments

Co-Sponsors

S5546 - Details

S5546 - Summary

S5546 - Sponsor Memo

S5546 - Bill Text download pdf

Co-Sponsors

S5546A (ACTIVE) - Details

S5546A (ACTIVE) - Summary

S5546A (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

S5546A (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments