S 3969: Relates to mandatory continuing education for teachers relating to mental health issues.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 3969 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN SENATE January 31, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sens. SEPULVEDA, COMRIE, JACKSON, RIVERA, SALAZAR -- 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: 1 Section 1. Section 7.23 of the mental hygiene law is amended by adding 2 a new subdivision (d) to read as follows: 3 (d) The commissioner in consultation with the office of addiction 4 services and supports, the department of health and with the commission- 5 er of the department of education, shall develop course materials to be 6 offered as part of the required continuing teacher and leader education 7 requirements pursuant to paragraph a of subdivision two of section three 8 thousand six-a of the education law. Such training shall include, but 9 not be limited to: 10 1. continuing education courses; 11 2. programs and activities related to mental health; 12 3. eating disorders; 13 4. behavioral health disorders; 14 5. best practices for improving the overall learning environment; 15 6. safe de-escalation of crisis situations; 16 7. identifying signs and symptoms, including early stages of mental 17 illness and behavioral health issues; and 18 8. the use of evidence based training programs including, but not 19 limited to, mental health first aid or core elements of such programs to 20 the extent practicable. 21 § 2. Paragraph a of subdivision 2 of section 3006-a of the education 22 law, as added by section 2 of subpart C of part EE of chapter 56 of the 23 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. LBD03448-01-5 
 S. 3969 2 1 a. During each five-year registration period beginning on or after 2 July first, two thousand sixteen, an applicant for registration shall 3 successfully complete a minimum of one hundred hours of continuing 4 teacher and leader education, as defined by the commissioner. Such 5 continuing teacher and leader education shall include, at least twice 6 during the five-year registration period, but not be limited to continu- 7 ing education courses, programs and activities related to mental 8 illness, eating disorders and behavioral health disorders as pursuant to 9 paragraph (d) of section 7.23 of the mental hygiene law. The department 10 shall issue rigorous standards for courses, programs, and activities[,] 11 that shall qualify as continuing teacher and leader education pursuant 12 to this section. For purposes of this section, a peer review teacher, or 13 a principal acting as an independent trained evaluator, conducting a 14 classroom observation as part of the teacher evaluation system pursuant 15 to section three thousand twelve-d of this article may credit such time 16 towards [his or her] such teacher or principal's continuing teacher and 17 leader effectiveness requirements. 18 § 3. The commissioner of education is authorized to promulgate any 19 rules and regulations necessary to carry out the provisions of this act. 20 § 4. This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeed- 21 ing the date on which it shall have become a law. Effective immediately 22 the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation neces- 23 sary for the implementation of this act on its effective date are 24 authorized to be made and completed on or before such date.