BILL NUMBER:  S3996

 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 :

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 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.

 LEGISLATIVE HISTORY :

S.5546A of 2015-16; Passed Senate

 FISCAL IMPLICATIONS :

To be determined

 EFFECTIVE DATE :
This act shall take effect immediately.