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.