S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   1924
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 17, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by Sen. SEPULVEDA -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Mental Health
 
 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.
                                                            LBD05303-01-3
 S. 1924                             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.  Effective immediately
 the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or  regulation  neces-
 sary  for  the  implementation  of  this  act  on its effective date are
 authorized to be made and completed on or before such date.