HF 98 (LSB 1667YH (3) 88)

HOUSE FILE 98

BY  STAED, HUNTER, McCONKEY, B. MEYER, FORBES, LENSING, DONAHUE, BROWN-POWERS, KURTH, WOLFE, JACOBY, MASCHER, WINCKLER, and ANDERSON

A BILL FOR

An Act establishing an Iowa center for suicide prevention in the department of education and making an appropriation.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  NEW SECTION.  256.95  Iowa center for suicide prevention.
   1.  For purposes of this section, unless the context otherwise requires:
   a.  “Adverse childhood experience” means the same as defined in section 279.70.
   b.  “Postvention” means the same as defined in section 279.70.
   2.  The Iowa center for suicide prevention is established in the department to provide, in a coordinated and comprehensive way, ongoing support to Iowa’s schools relating to suicide prevention and postvention and the identification of adverse childhood experiences and strategies to mitigate toxic stress response, in the form of information, resources, and evidence-based training content. It shall be the goal of the center that every student, regardless of where they reside in the state, have access to the same high-quality suicide prevention, intervention, and support resources. The department may employ personnel necessary to carry out the duties of the center.
   3.  The center shall have the initial responsibility of supporting schools with programs and development of trauma-informed learning programs for suicide prevention and postvention and the identification of adverse childhood experiences and strategies to mitigate toxic stress response, including but not limited to the following:
   a.  Through collaboration with suicide prevention coordinators and initiatives across state departments, the center shall lead a public-private coalition of state and local agencies, community groups, organizations including area education agencies, and individuals with the goal of supporting statewide suicide prevention, awareness, and intervention, and providing necessary resources for such efforts.
   b.  The center shall adapt existing evidence-based training on suicide prevention and postvention and the identification of adverse childhood experiences and strategies to mitigate toxic stress response for school personnel, which training accounts for best practices and up-to-date research in these fields, to be provided pursuant to section 279.70. The center shall provide guidance and support to schools providing such training.
   c.  The center shall develop evidence-based model protocols to assist schools in suicide prevention and postvention and the identification of adverse childhood experiences and strategies to mitigate toxic stress response, to be adopted pursuant to section 256.7, subsection 33.
   d.  The center shall develop recommendations for social-emotional learning programs and supports for schools.
   e.  The center shall encourage content developed by the center to be included in preservice teacher training.
   4.  The long-term responsibilities of the center shall include the following:
   a.  Coordinating a comprehensive community effort of suicide prevention to identify and develop supports for students at risk of suicide.
   b.  Adapting, reviewing, and improving evidence-based training on suicide prevention and postvention and the identification of adverse childhood experiences and strategies to mitigate toxic stress response on an ongoing basis.
   c.  Identifying unmet needs in school and community social-emotional learning supports.
   d.  Supporting efforts by schools to provide students with resources relating to suicide prevention and postvention and the identification of adverse childhood experiences and strategies to mitigate toxic stress response.
   e.  Through community involvement, identifying resources outside of a school setting for students identified as at risk for suicide.
    Sec. 2.  APPROPRIATION.  There is appropriated from the general fund of the state to the department of education for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2019, and ending June 30, 2020, the following amount, or so much thereof as is necessary, to be used for the purposes designated:
   For the establishment and administration of the Iowa center for suicide prevention, including salaries, support, maintenance, and miscellaneous purposes:
   ...................................................................... $    500,000
EXPLANATION
The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
   This bill establishes the Iowa center for suicide prevention in the department of education to provide, in a coordinated and comprehensive way, ongoing support to Iowa’s schools relating to suicide prevention and postvention and the identification of adverse childhood experiences and strategies to mitigate toxic stress response, in the form of information, resources, and evidence-based training content. The goal of the center is that every student, regardless of where they reside in the state, have access to the same high-quality suicide prevention, intervention, and support resources. The department may employ personnel necessary to carry out the duties of the center.
   The bill provides that the center has the initial responsibility of supporting schools with implementation of suicide prevention programs and development of trauma-informed learning environments, including adaptation of existing evidence-based training on suicide prevention and postvention and the identification of adverse childhood experiences and strategies to mitigate toxic stress response for school personnel and development of evidence-based model protocols to assist schools in suicide prevention and postvention and the identification of adverse childhood experiences and strategies to mitigate toxic stress response. The bill also provides long-term responsibilities of the center, including adapting, reviewing, and improving evidence-based training on suicide prevention and postvention and the identification of adverse childhood experiences and strategies to mitigate toxic stress response on an ongoing basis and supporting efforts by schools to provide students with resources relating to suicide prevention and postvention and the identification of adverse childhood experiences and strategies to mitigate toxic stress response.
   The bill appropriates $500,000 from the general fund of the state to the department for fiscal year 2019-2020 for the establishment and administration of the center.
   The bill defines “adverse childhood experience” as a potentially traumatic event occurring in childhood that can have negative, lasting effects on an individual’s health and well-being. The bill defines “postvention” as the provision of crisis intervention, support, and assistance for those affected by a suicide or suicide attempt to prevent further risk of suicide.