S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
3550
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
I N S E N A T E
January 24, 2017
___________
Introduced by Sens. HAMILTON, CARLUCCI, COMRIE, ORTT, PARKER, PERSAUD --
read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to
the Committee on Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities
AN ACT to amend the mental hygiene law and the education law, in
relation to mandatory continuing education for teachers relating to
mental health issues
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Section 7.23 of the mental hygiene law is amended by adding
a new subdivision (d) to read as follows:
(D) THE COMMISSIONER IN CONSULTATION WITH THE OFFICE OF ALCOHOLISM AND
SUBSTANCE ABUSE SERVICES, THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND WITH THE COMMIS-
SIONER OF THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, SHALL DEVELOP COURSE MATERIALS TO
BE OFFERED AS PART OF THE REQUIRED CONTINUING TEACHER AND LEADER EDUCA-
TION REQUIREMENTS PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPH A OF SUBDIVISION TWO OF SECTION
THREE THOUSAND SIX-A OF THE EDUCATION LAW. SUCH TRAINING SHALL INCLUDE,
BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO:
1. CONTINUING EDUCATION COURSES;
2. PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES RELATED TO MENTAL HEALTH;
3. EATING DISORDERS;
4. BEHAVIORAL HEALTH DISORDERS;
5. BEST PRACTICES FOR IMPROVING THE OVERALL LEARNING ENVIRONMENT;
6. SAFE DE-ESCALATION OF CRISIS SITUATIONS;
7. IDENTIFYING SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS, INCLUDING EARLY STAGES OF MENTAL
ILLNESS AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH ISSUES; AND
8. THE USE OF EVIDENCE BASED TRAINING PROGRAMS INCLUDING, BUT NOT
LIMITED TO, MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID OR CORE ELEMENTS OF SUCH PROGRAMS TO
THE EXTENT PRACTICABLE.
§ 2. Paragraph a of subdivision 2 of section 3006-a of the education
law, as added by section 2 of subpart C of part EE of chapter 56 of the
laws of 2015, is amended to read as follows:
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00728-02-7
S. 3550 2
a. During each five-year registration period beginning on or after
July first, two thousand sixteen, an applicant for registration shall
successfully complete a minimum of one hundred hours of continuing
teacher and leader education, as defined by the commissioner. SUCH
CONTINUING TEACHER AND LEADER EDUCATION SHALL INCLUDE, AT LEAST TWICE
DURING THE FIVE-YEAR REGISTRATION PERIOD, BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO CONTINU-
ING EDUCATION COURSES, PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES RELATED TO MENTAL
ILLNESS, EATING DISORDERS AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH DISORDERS AS PURSUANT TO
PARAGRAPH D OF SECTION 7.23 OF THE MENTAL HYGIENE LAW. The department
shall issue rigorous standards for courses, programs, and activities[,]
that shall qualify as continuing teacher and leader education pursuant
to this section. For purposes of this section, a peer review teacher, or
a principal acting as an independent trained evaluator, conducting a
classroom observation as part of the teacher evaluation system pursuant
to section three thousand twelve-d of this article may credit such time
towards his or her continuing teacher and leader effectiveness require-
ments.
§ 3. The commissioner of education is authorized to promulgate any
rules and regulations necessary to carry out the provisions of this act.
§ 4. This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeed-
ing the date on which it shall have become a law; provided, however,
that effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any
rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of the provisions of
this act on its effective date are authorized and directed to be made
and completed on or before such effective date.
