S 5025: Updates provisions relating to dignity for all students including curriculum and teacher training requirements designed to prevent student suicide with a focus on LGBTQ students.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 5025 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN SENATE February 18, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sens. JACKSON, GONZALEZ -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Finance AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to updating provisions relating to dignity for all students; and making an appropriation therefor The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Section 10 of the education law, as added by chapter 482 2 of the laws of 2010, is amended to read as follows: 3 § 10. Legislative intent. The legislature finds that students' ability 4 to learn and to meet high academic standards, and a school's ability to 5 educate its students, are compromised by incidents of discrimination or 6 harassment including bullying, taunting or intimidation. It is hereby 7 declared to be the policy of the state to afford all students in public 8 schools an environment free of discrimination and harassment, whether in 9 the school building or on the internet. The purpose of this article is 10 to foster civility in public schools and to prevent and prohibit conduct 11 which is inconsistent with a school's educational mission. 12 § 2. Paragraphs e and l of subdivision 1 of section 13 of the educa- 13 tion law, as added by chapter 102 of the laws of 2012, are amended and a 14 new paragraph m is added to read as follows: 15 e. require the school, when an investigation reveals any such verified 16 harassment, bullying or discrimination, to take prompt actions reason- 17 ably calculated to end the harassment, bullying or discrimination, elim- 18 inate any hostile environment, create a more positive school culture and 19 climate, prevent recurrence of the behavior, and ensure the safety of 20 the student or students against whom such harassment, bullying or 21 discrimination was directed. Such actions shall be consistent with the 22 guidelines created pursuant to subdivision four of this section and 23 shall take into consideration whether notification of persons in EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD07978-02-5 
 S. 5025 2 1 parental relation to the student who is the subject of such harassment 2 is in the best interest of the student; 3 l. maintain current versions of the school district's policies created 4 pursuant to this section on the school district's internet website, if 5 one exists; and 6 m. include safe, responsible use of the internet and electronic commu- 7 nications; and 8 § 3. Subdivision 5 of section 14 of the education law, as amended by 9 chapter 90 of the laws of 2013, is amended to read as follows: 10 5. [The commissioner shall prescribe] Prescribe regulations that 11 school professionals applying on or after December thirty-first, two 12 thousand thirteen for a certificate or license, including but not limit- 13 ed to a certificate or license valid for service as a classroom teacher, 14 school counselor, school psychologist, school social worker, school 15 administrator or supervisor or superintendent of schools shall, in addi- 16 tion to all other certification or licensing requirements, have 17 completed training on the social patterns of harassment, bullying and 18 discrimination, as defined in section eleven of this article, including 19 but not limited to those acts based on a person's actual or perceived 20 race, color, weight, national origin, ethnic group, religion, religious 21 practice, disability, sexual orientation, gender or sex, the identifica- 22 tion and mitigation of harassment, bullying and discrimination, and 23 strategies for effectively addressing problems of exclusion, bias and 24 aggression in educational settings. 25 § 4. Section 15 of the education law, as amended by chapter 102 of the 26 laws of 2012, is amended to read as follows: 27 § 15. Reporting by commissioner and use of reports. 1. The commis- 28 sioner shall create a procedure under which material incidents of 29 harassment, bullying and discrimination on school grounds or at a school 30 function are reported to the department at least on an annual basis. 31 Such procedure shall provide that such reports shall, wherever possible, 32 also delineate the specific nature of such incidents of harassment, 33 bullying and discrimination, provided that the commissioner may comply 34 with the requirements of this section through use of the existing 35 uniform violent incident reporting system. In addition, the department 36 may conduct research or undertake studies to determine compliance 37 throughout the state with the provisions of this article. 38 2. The commissioner shall use such reports and data to identify 39 schools and districts that are failing to meet the standards and objec- 40 tives of this article. The commissioner shall promulgate policies and 41 procedures for improving conditions at these schools to ensure proper 42 training, support, and compliance with all requirements. 43 3. The commissioner shall deliver the report referenced in subdivision 44 one of this section to the legislature every two years. 45 § 5. The education law is amended by adding a new article 2-A to read 46 as follows: 47 ARTICLE 2-A 48 STUDENT SUICIDE PREVENTION 49 Section 20. Legislative intent. 50 21. Definitions. 51 22. Policies, procedures, and guidelines. 52 23. Application. 53 24. Severability and construction. 54 § 20. Legislative intent. The legislature finds and declares the 55 following: 
 S. 5025 3 1 1. According to data from the federal centers for disease control and 2 prevention as reported in the year two thousand sixteen, suicide is the 3 second leading cause of death for youth and young adults ten to twenty- 4 four years of age, inclusive, in both the United States and in New York 5 state. 6 2. As children and teens spend a significant amount of their young 7 lives in school, the personnel who interact with them on a daily basis 8 are essential gatekeepers for recognizing warning signs of suicide and 9 making the appropriate referrals for help. 10 3. In a national survey conducted by the Jason Foundation, a teacher 11 was identified as the number one person to whom a student would turn to 12 help a friend who might be suicidal. It is imperative that when a young 13 person comes to a teacher for help, such teacher has the knowledge, 14 tools, and resources to respond correctly. 15 4. In the year two thousand eighteen, the federal centers for disease 16 control and prevention found in its Youth Risk Behavior Survey that 17 lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth are almost four times more likely to 18 seriously consider attempting suicide, have made a suicide plan, or have 19 attempted suicide, than their heterosexual peers. 20 5. There are national hotlines available to help adults and youth, 21 including lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning 22 (LGBTQ) youth, who are experiencing suicidal ideation or who are worried 23 about a family member or peer who may be at risk, including the National 24 Suicide Prevention Lifeline, the Crisis Text Line, the Trevor Project 25 Lifeline, and TrevorChat. 26 6. According to the Family Acceptance Project, research has found 27 that, for an LGBTQ youth, having at least one supportive adult can 28 reduce the youth's risk of suicide. 29 7. New York state schools face the serious issues of students at high 30 risk of suicide and death by suicide in the school communities. School 31 personnel must be supported by clear policies and procedures, which 32 serve as an easily-accessible roadmap, eliminate confusion over educator 33 roles and the referral process, and equip educators with the tools to 34 respond safely when a suicide does occur in the school community. 35 § 21. Definitions. For the purposes of this article, the following 36 terms shall have the following meanings: 37 1. "Crisis situation" means a situation where a teacher or other local 38 educational agency employee believes a student or other individual is in 39 imminent danger of a suicide attempt. 40 2. "LGBTQ" means individuals who identify, with regards to gender, as 41 being lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning. 42 3. "Local educational agency" means a school district, board of coop- 43 erative educational services, school, or the education department. 44 4. "Suicide intervention" means specific actions schools can take in 45 response to suicidal behavior by a student, including, but not limited 46 to: 47 a. student supervision; 48 b. notification of parents or guardians; 49 c. crisis situation response protocols; 50 d. when and how to request an immediate mental health assessment or 51 emergency services; and 52 e. school re-entry procedures following a student mental health 53 crisis. 54 5. "Suicide postvention" means planned support and interventions 55 schools can implement after a suicide attempt or suicide death of a 56 member of the school community that are designed to: 
 S. 5025 4 1 a. reduce the risk of the spread of suicidal thoughts or intentions; 2 b. provide support for affected students and school-based personnel; 3 c. address the social stigma associated with suicide; and 4 d. disseminate factual information about suicide and its prevention. 5 6. "Suicide prevention" means specific actions schools can take to 6 recognize and reduce suicidal behavior, including, but not limited to: 7 a. identifying risks and protective factors for suicide and suicide 8 warning signs; 9 b. establishing a process by which students are referred to a mental 10 and behavioral health provider for help; 11 c. making available school-based and community-based mental health 12 supports; 13 d. providing the location of available online and community suicide 14 prevention resources, including local crisis centers and hotlines; 15 e. adopting policies and protocols regarding suicide prevention, 16 intervention, and postvention, school safety, and response to crisis 17 situations; 18 f. training for school personnel who interact directly with students 19 in recognizing suicide risks and warning signs and how to refer students 20 for further assessment and evaluation; and 21 g. instruction to students in problem-solving and coping skills to 22 promote students' mental, emotional, and social health and well-being, 23 and instruction in recognizing and appropriately responding to signs of 24 suicidal intent in others. 25 § 22. Policies, procedures, and guidelines. 1. The governing board or 26 body of every local educational agency that serves students in grades 27 seven to twelve, inclusive, shall, before the first day of August, two 28 thousand twenty-five, adopt policies, procedures, and guidelines on 29 student suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention for students 30 in such grades. Such policies, procedures, and guidelines shall be 31 developed in consultation with school and community stakeholders, 32 school-employed mental health professionals, and suicide prevention 33 experts, and shall include, but not be limited to: 34 a. methods to increase awareness of the relationship between suicide 35 and suicide risk factors, including, but not limited to: 36 i. mental health and substance use conditions; 37 ii. childhood abuse, neglect, or trauma; 38 iii. prolonged stress, including individual experiences such as bully- 39 ing, harassment, family or relationship stress, or other stressful life 40 events, as well as collective stressors such as systemic bias and 41 discrimination; 42 iv. exposure to another person's suicide, or sensationalized or graph- 43 ic accounts of suicide; and 44 v. previous suicide attempts or history of suicide within a student's 45 family; 46 b. identification of training opportunities on recognizing suicide 47 risks, and referral procedures available to school employees; 48 c. availability of expertise from school employees who have been 49 trained in recognizing suicide risks, and referral procedures; 50 d. how school employees should respond to suspicion, concerns, or 51 warning signs of suicide in students; 52 e. how school employees should respond to a crisis situation where a 53 student is in imminent danger to themself; 54 f. policies and protocols for communication with parents, including 55 those that specify what to do if parental notification is not in the 56 best interest of the student; 
 S. 5025 5 1 g. counseling services available within the school for students and 2 their families that are related to suicide prevention; 3 h. availability of information concerning crisis situation inter- 4 vention, suicide prevention, and mental health services in the community 5 for students and their families and school employees; 6 i. identification and development of partnerships with community 7 organizations and agencies for referral of students to health, mental 8 health, substance use, and social support services, including develop- 9 ment of at least one memorandum of understanding between the local 10 education agency and such an organization or agency in the community or 11 region; 12 j. development of a culturally competent plan to assist survivors of 13 attempted suicide and to assist students and school employees in coping 14 with an attempted suicide or a suicide death within the school communi- 15 ty; and 16 k. development of any other related program or activity for students 17 or school employees. 18 2. The policies, procedures, and guidelines adopted pursuant to subdi- 19 vision one of this section shall specifically address the needs of high- 20 risk groups, including, but not limited to, the following: 21 a. youth who have lost a friend or family member to suicide; 22 b. youth with disabilities or with chronic health conditions, includ- 23 ing mental health and substance use conditions; 24 c. youth experiencing homelessness or in out-of-home settings, such as 25 foster care; and 26 d. LGBTQ youth. 27 3. The policies, procedures, and guidelines adopted pursuant to subdi- 28 vision one of this section shall be written to ensure that a school 29 employee acts only within the authorization and scope of such employee's 30 credential or license. Nothing in this section shall be construed as 31 authorizing or encouraging a school employee to diagnose or treat mental 32 health conditions unless such employee is specifically licensed and 33 employed to do so. 34 4. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, no 35 cause of action may be brought for any loss or damage caused by any act 36 or omission resulting from the implementation of the provisions of this 37 article, or resulting from any training, or lack of training, required 38 by this article. Nothing in this article shall be construed to impose 39 any specific duty of care. 40 5. To assist local educational agencies in developing policies for 41 student suicide prevention, the department shall develop and maintain 42 model policies, procedures, and guidelines in accordance with this 43 section to serve as a guide for local educational agencies. Such model 44 policies, procedures, and guidelines shall be posted within thirty days 45 of their completion on the department's internet website, along with 46 relevant resources and information to support schools in developing and 47 implementing the policies, procedures, and guidelines required under 48 subdivision one of this section. 49 6. The governing board or body of a local educational agency that 50 serves students in grades seven to twelve, inclusive, shall review, at 51 minimum every fifth year following the effective date of this article, 52 its policies, procedures, and guidelines on student suicide prevention 53 and, if necessary, update such policies, procedures, and guidelines. 54 § 23. Application. The provisions of this article shall apply to all 55 private and public educational institutions in New York state. 
 S. 5025 6 1 § 24. Severability and construction. The provisions of this article 2 shall be severable, and if any court of competent jurisdiction declares 3 any phrase, clause, sentence or provision of this article to be invalid, 4 or its applicability to any government agency, person or circumstance is 5 declared invalid, the remainder of this article and its relevant appli- 6 cability shall not be affected. The provisions of this article shall be 7 liberally construed to give effect to the purposes thereof. 8 § 6. Section 801-a of the education law, as amended by section 102 of 9 the laws of 2012, is amended to read as follows: 10 § 801-a. Instruction in civility, citizenship [and], character educa- 11 tion, digital citizenship, and media literacy. 12 1. For the purposes of this section, the following terms shall have 13 the following meanings: 14 a. "Tolerance", "respect for others", and "dignity" shall include 15 awareness and sensitivity to harassment, bullying, discrimination, and 16 civility in the relations of people of different races, weights, 17 national origins, ethnic groups, religions, religious practices, mental 18 or physical abilities, sexual orientations, genders, and sexes. 19 b. "Digital citizenship" shall mean a diverse set of skills related to 20 current technology and social media, including the norms of appropriate, 21 responsible, and healthy behavior and focuses on empowering learners to 22 use online resources, applications, and spaces to improve communities 23 and curate a positive and effective digital footprint. 24 c. "Media literacy" shall mean the ability to use media and to access, 25 analyze, evaluate, create, and act using all forms of communication and 26 encompasses the foundational skills that lead to digital citizenship. 27 2. The regents shall ensure that the course of instruction in grades 28 kindergarten through twelve includes a component on civility, citizen- 29 ship, and character education. Such component shall instruct students on 30 the principles of honesty, tolerance, personal responsibility, and 31 respect for others, with an emphasis on discouraging acts of harassment, 32 bullying, discrimination, observance of laws and rules, courtesy, digni- 33 ty, and other traits which will enhance the quality of their experiences 34 in, and contributions to, the community. Such component shall include 35 instruction of safe, responsible use of the internet and electronic 36 communications. The regents shall determine how to incorporate such 37 component in existing curricula and the commissioner shall promulgate 38 any regulations needed to carry out such determination of the regents. 39 [For the purposes of this section, "tolerance," "respect for others" and 40 "dignity" shall include awareness and sensitivity to harassment, bully- 41 ing, discrimination and civility in the relations of people of different 42 races, weights, national origins, ethnic groups, religions, religious 43 practices, mental or physical abilities, sexual orientations, genders, 44 and sexes.] 45 3. The regents, in conjunction with the commissioner, shall ensure 46 that the course of instruction in grades kindergarten through twelve 47 includes a component on media literacy. Such component shall include 48 instruction of internet safety, civility, and digital citizenship with a 49 focus on the principles of safe, responsible use of the internet and 50 electronic communications. The boards of education and trustees of the 51 cities and school districts of the state shall require instruction to be 52 given in media literacy by the teachers employed in the schools therein. 53 If available, instruction in media literacy shall be provided by library 54 media specialists employed by the schools therein. 55 4. The commissioner, in conjunction with the regents, shall incorpo- 56 rate existing state media literacy standards into the component 
 S. 5025 7 1 described in subdivision two of this section and create a clear and 2 coherent set of media literacy education standards, which shall include, 3 but not be limited to, the following skills, experiences, and competen- 4 cies: 5 a. reading experiences balanced between literature and informational 6 texts, which include both print and digital sources; 7 b. integration and evaluation of content and information presented in 8 diverse media and formats, including visual, quantitative, and oral; 9 c. use of technology and digital tools, including the internet, for 10 writing and drawing to increase learning and communication and to inter- 11 act and collaborate with others; 12 d. writing of informative and explanatory texts to examine and convey 13 complex ideas and information clearly and accurately through the effec- 14 tive selection, organization, and analysis of content, including multi- 15 media; 16 e. strategic use of digital media and visual displays to express 17 information and enhance understanding of presentations; 18 f. the ability to assess how point of view or purpose shapes the 19 content and style of a text, drawing on a wide range of global and 20 diverse texts; 21 g. gathering of relevant information from multiple sources and assess- 22 ing the credibility and accuracy of such sources, for the purpose of 23 integrating such information in writing without plagiarizing; 24 h. effectively communicating conclusions and taking informed action 25 based on such conclusions; 26 i. the ability to create, produce, respond, interpret, and connect 27 with artistic work and techniques; 28 j. managing information with a focus on the ability to access and use 29 information obtained from other people, community resources, and comput- 30 er networks and using technology to acquire, organize, and communicate 31 information by entering, modifying, retrieving, and storing data; 32 k. demonstration of digital citizenship by maintaining ethical deci- 33 sion making and behavior and avoid the spread of misinformation in the 34 exchange and use of information; 35 l. use of digital tools to communicate and work with others to build 36 knowledge, convey ideas, learn with others, create and revise collabora- 37 tive products, support individual learning, and contribute to the learn- 38 ing of others; 39 m. use of digital tools to create and revise simple, complex, and 40 multimedia digital artifacts; 41 n. identification of ways other people put their own information into 42 online spaces; 43 o. the ability to explain how actions in online spaces can have conse- 44 quences in other spaces and the connection between the persistence of 45 data on the internet, personal online identity, and personal privacy; 46 p. actively managing digital presence and digital footprint to reflect 47 an understanding of the permanence and potential consequences of actions 48 in online spaces; 49 q. designing and implementing strategies that support safety and secu- 50 rity of digital information, personal identity, property, and physical 51 and mental health when operating in the digital world; 52 r. identifying types of cyberbullying and developing strategies to 53 combat cyberbullying and harassment; and 54 s. any additional media literacy standards outlined in state depart- 55 ment publications or in the codes, rules and regulations of the state of 56 New York, as deemed necessary. 
 S. 5025 8 1 5. The commissioner, in conjunction with the regents, shall update the 2 New York state professional teaching standards to incorporate media 3 literacy and educate library media specialists and teachers on the rele- 4 vant standards of media literacy so that library media specialists and 5 teachers can effectively incorporate such standards into their curric- 6 ulums. 7 6. The commissioner, in conjunction with the regents, shall annually 8 review the media literacy standards set forth in this section to ensure 9 such standards capture the full range of skills, experiences, and compe- 10 tencies that research indicates is necessary for media literacy, and 11 shall update such standards as necessary. 12 7. The media literacy standards set forth in this section shall serve 13 as an overview of the state's interdisciplinary approach to media liter- 14 acy education and shall emphasize the importance of media literacy for 15 civic readiness. 16 § 7. Subdivision 1 of section 2801 of the education law, as amended by 17 chapter 402 of the laws of 2005, is amended to read as follows: 18 1. a. For purposes of this section, [school property] the following 19 terms shall have the following meanings: 20 (i) "School property" means: 21 (A) in or within any building, structure, athletic playing field, 22 playground, parking lot, or land contained within the real property 23 boundary line of a public elementary or secondary school; or 24 (B) in or on a school bus, as defined in section one hundred forty-two 25 of the vehicle and traffic law[; and a school function shall mean]. 26 (ii) "School function" means a school-sponsored or school-authorized 27 [extra-curricular] extra curricular event or activity, regardless of 28 where such event or activity takes place, including any event or activ- 29 ity that may take place in another state. 30 b. This section shall also apply to cyberbullying, whether on or off 31 school property or at or away from a school function. 32 § 8. Subdivision 2 of section 3006-a of the education law, as added by 33 section 2 of subpart C of part EE of chapter 56 of the laws of 2015, is 34 amended and a new subdivision 4 is added to read as follows: 35 2. a. During each five-year registration period beginning on or after 36 July first, two thousand sixteen, an applicant for registration shall 37 successfully complete a minimum of one hundred hours of continuing 38 teacher and leader education, as defined by the commissioner. The 39 department shall issue rigorous standards for courses, programs, and 40 activities, that shall qualify as continuing teacher and leader educa- 41 tion pursuant to this section. For purposes of this section, a peer 42 review teacher, or a principal acting as an independent trained evalu- 43 ator, conducting a classroom observation as part of the teacher evalu- 44 ation system pursuant to section three thousand twelve-d of this article 45 may credit such time towards [his or her] their continuing teacher and 46 leader effectiveness requirements. 47 b. During each five-year registration period beginning on or after a 48 date which shall be determined by the commissioner, any teacher who is 49 an applicant for registration shall successfully complete a minimum of 50 five hours of professional development related to media literacy educa- 51 tion and any library media specialist shall complete a minimum of 52 fifteen hours of professional development related to media literacy 53 education, as defined by the commissioner. Such professional develop- 54 ment related to media literacy education shall be counted toward the one 55 hundred hours of continuing teacher and leader education required by 56 paragraph a of this subdivision. The commissioner shall require that: 
 S. 5025 9 1 (i) professional development related to media literacy education 2 incorporates the principles and practices of the department's culturally 3 responsive-sustaining framework; 4 (ii) professional development related to media literacy education is 5 provided by or in coordination with a library media specialist or an 6 employee from a school district's library system in every school 7 district; 8 (iii) library media specialists in every school district receive 9 specific training in how to provide professional development related to 10 media literacy education to teachers of all grade levels and subject 11 areas contained in their schools, which shall include instruction on how 12 to effectively integrate media literacy education into such teachers' 13 curricula; and 14 (iv) the department creates and provides model curricula and teaching 15 and professional development resources which incorporate media literacy 16 education on its website. 17 c. During each five-year registration period beginning on or after a 18 date which shall be determined by the commissioner, any teacher who is 19 an applicant for registration shall successfully complete a minimum of 20 five hours of professional development related to articles two and two-A 21 of this chapter. Such professional development shall be counted toward 22 the one hundred hours of continuing teacher and leader education 23 required by paragraph a of this subdivision. The commissioner shall 24 require that: 25 (i) professional development related to articles two and two-A of this 26 chapter incorporates the principles and practices of the department's 27 culturally responsive-sustaining framework; 28 (ii) professional development related to articles two and two-A of 29 this chapter is provided by or in coordination with a teacher or guid- 30 ance counselor in every school district; and 31 (iii) the department creates and provides model curricula and teaching 32 and professional development resources which incorporate the principles 33 and practices articulated in articles two and two-A of this chapter on 34 its website. 35 d. Nothing in this section shall limit the ability of local school 36 districts to agree pursuant to collective bargaining to additional hours 37 of professional development or continuing teacher or leader education 38 above the minimum requirements set forth in this section. 39 [c.] e. A certified individual who has not satisfied the continuing 40 teacher and leader education requirements shall not be issued a five- 41 year registration certificate by the department and shall not practice 42 unless and until a registration or conditional registration certificate 43 is issued as provided in subdivision three of this section. For purposes 44 of this subdivision, "continuing teacher and leader education require- 45 ments" shall mean activities designed to improve the teacher or leader's 46 pedagogical and/or leadership skills, targeted at improving student 47 performance, including but not limited to formal continuing teacher and 48 leader education activities. Such activities shall promote the profes- 49 sionalization of teaching and be closely aligned to district goals for 50 student performance which meet the standards prescribed by regulations 51 of the commissioner. To fulfill the continuing teacher and leader educa- 52 tion requirement, programs must be taken from sponsors approved by the 53 department, which shall include but not be limited to school districts, 54 pursuant to the regulations of the commissioner. 55 4. For the purposes of this section, "library media specialist" shall 56 mean an individual employed by a school district as a library media 
 S. 5025 10 1 specialist pursuant to section 91.2 of title eight of the codes, rules 2 and regulations of the state of New York. 3 § 9. The sum of fifteen million dollars ($15,000,000), or so much 4 thereof as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated to the department of 5 education out of moneys in the state treasury in the general fund to the 6 credit of the state purposes account, not otherwise appropriated, and 7 made immediately available, for the purposes of carrying out the 8 provisions of this act. Five million dollars ($5,000,000) of such funds 9 shall be used for purposes including, but not limited to, the develop- 10 ment and distribution of teacher trainings, model lessons, and continu- 11 ing education classes. Five million dollars ($5,000,000) of such funds 12 shall be used for purposes including, but not limited to, the develop- 13 ment and implementation of media literacy standards, teacher trainings, 14 and continuing professional development. Five million dollars 15 ($5,000,000) of such funds shall be used for purposes including, but not 16 limited to, the development and distribution of policies, standards, and 17 trainings related to suicide prevention. Such moneys shall be payable on 18 the audit and warrant of the state comptroller on vouchers certified or 19 approved by the commissioner of the department of education in the 20 manner prescribed by law. 21 § 10. This act shall take effect immediately.