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PRINTER'S NO. 503
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No.
540
Session of
2021
INTRODUCED BY BOBACK, HILL-EVANS, SANCHEZ, JAMES, HOWARD,
NEILSON, WEBSTER AND SCHWEYER, FEBRUARY 16, 2021
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, FEBRUARY 16, 2021
AN ACT
Amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), entitled "An
act relating to the public school system, including certain
provisions applicable as well to private and parochial
schools; amending, revising, consolidating and changing the
laws relating thereto," in terms and courses of study,
further providing for youth suicide awareness and prevention
and providing for violence prevention and social inclusion.
This act may be referred to as the Safety and Violence
Education for Students (SAVE Students) Act.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Section 1526 of the act of March 10, 1949
(P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, is
amended by adding a subsection to read:
Section 1526. Youth Suicide Awareness and Prevention.--* * *
(c.1) The following shall apply to school personnel and
student suicide awareness and prevention training:
(1) The department shall require a school entity serving
students in grades six through twelve to provide students at
least one (1) hour, or one (1) standard class period, of
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evidence-based suicide awareness and prevention training each
school year. The following shall apply:
(i) The training may be delivered in-person or digitally.
(ii) The training shall begin within two (2) years of the
development of the list required under paragraph (2).
(iii) Training programs that combine the training
requirements under this subsection and section 1526.1(a) may be
used to fulfill the requirements of this subsection.
(2) Within one (1) year of the effective date of this
paragraph, the department shall develop a list of evidence-based
trainings and materials, including no-cost programming, if any,
to fulfill the requirements of this subsection. At a minimum,
the trainings shall:
(i) Teach school personnel how to identify the signs and
signals of depression, suicide and self-injury in students and
when and how to refer youth and their families to appropriate
mental health services for assessment within the school entity
and the community.
(ii) Teach students how to identify the signs and signals of
depression, suicide and self-injury in themselves and their
peers, the importance of seeking help for themselves and their
peers and the process for seeking help.
(3) The department shall make the list under paragraph (2)
available on the department's publicly accessible Internet
website.
(4) For purposes of this subsection, "evidence-based" is
defined as in section 1526.1(e).
* * *
Section 2. The act is amended by adding a section to read:
Section 1526.1. Violence Prevention and Social Inclusion.--
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(a) The following shall apply to student safety and violence
prevention training:
(1) The department shall require a school entity serving
students in grades six through twelve to provide students at
least one (1) hour, or one (1) standard class period, of
evidence-based youth violence prevention training each school
year. The following shall apply:
(i) The training may be delivered in-person or digitally.
(ii) The training shall begin within two (2) years of the
development of the list required under paragraph (2).
(iii) Training programs that combine the training
requirements under this subsection and section 1526(c.1) may be
used to fulfill the training requirements of this subsection.
(2) Within one (1) year of the effective date of this
paragraph, the department shall develop a list of evidence-based
trainings and materials, including no-cost programming, if any,
to fulfill the requirements of this subsection. At a minimum,
the trainings shall teach students the following:
(i) How to identify observable warning signs and signals of
an individual who may be a threat to the individual or others.
(ii) The importance of taking threats seriously and seeking
help.
(iii) The steps that can be taken to report dangerous,
violent, threatening, harmful or potentially harmful activity.
(3) The department shall make the list under paragraph (2)
available on the department's publicly accessible Internet
website.
(b) The following shall apply to student social inclusion
training:
(1) The department shall require a school entity serving
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students in kindergarten through grade twelve to provide
students at least one (1) hour, or one (1) standard class
period, of evidence-based social inclusion training each school
year. The following shall apply:
(i) The training may be delivered in-person or digitally.
(ii) The training shall begin within two (2) years of the
development of the list required under paragraph (2).
(2) Within one (1) year of the effective date of this
paragraph, the department shall develop a list of evidence-based
trainings and materials, including no-cost programming, if any,
to fulfill the requirements of this subsection. At a minimum,
the trainings shall teach students the following:
(i) What social isolation is and how to identify social
isolation in others.
(ii) The importance of taking social isolation seriously and
seeking help for peers.
(iii) How to utilize strategies to be more socially
inclusive in the classroom and community and to establish
connections with peers.
(3) The department shall make the list under paragraph (2)
available on the department's publicly accessible Internet
website.
(c) The following shall apply to student-led violence
prevention clubs:
(1) Within one (1) year of the effective date of this
paragraph, the department shall require a school entity serving
students in kindergarten through grade twelve to designate a
student-led violence prevention club that:
(i) is open to all members of the student body of the school
entity; and
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(ii) has at least one (1) identified adult advisor of the
club.
(2) At a minimum, a student-led violence prevention club
shall do the following:
(i) Sustain awareness activities related to suicide
prevention, violence prevention and social inclusion trainings.
(ii) Foster opportunities for student leadership
development.
(d) To offset any costs associated with the implementation
of the requirements of subsections (a), (b) and (c), the
department shall, to the extent practicable, apply for any
Federal or State funding made available to the department for
the purposes of improving school safety.
(e) As used in this section, the following words and phrases
shall have the meanings given to them in this subsection unless
the context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Department." The Department of Education of the
Commonwealth.
"Evidence-based." A program or practice that demonstrates
any of the following:
(1) A statistically significant effect on relevant outcomes
based on any of the following:
(i) Strong evidence from not fewer than one (1) well-
designed and well-implemented experimental study.
(ii) Moderate evidence from not fewer than one (1) well-
designed and well-implemented quasi-experimental study.
(iii) Promising evidence from not fewer than one (1) well-
designed and well-implemented correlational study with
statistical controls for selection bias.
(2) A rationale based on high-quality research findings or
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positive evaluation that the program or practice is likely to
improve relevant outcomes, which shall also include the ongoing
efforts to examine the effects of the program or practice.
"School entity." A school district, joint school district,
charter school, regional charter school, cyber charter school,
intermediate unit or area career and technical school.
Section 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
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