WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE
2022 REGULAR SESSION
Introduced
House Bill 4074
By Delegates Clark, Hanna, Householder, Thompson, Espinosa, Keaton, Haynes, Mandt, Hardy, Crouse, and Pinson
[Introduced January 13, 2022; Referred to the Committee on Education]
A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding thereto a new section, designated §18-2-40a, relating to providing a program in public schools to provide training and awareness for school personnel and students on self-harm behavior and eating disorder awareness, prevention, and treatment resources for students experiencing self-harm behavior and eating disorders; and providing for dissemination of information relating to self-harm behavior and eating disorders to students.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
ARTICLE 2. STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION.
§18-2-40a. Education on awareness, treatment resources, and prevention of self-harm behavior and eating disorders; dissemination of information.
(a)(1) Legislative findings. — The Legislature recognizes that there are a significant number of students in the public schools of West Virginia that have issues with and are experiencing self-harm behavior and eating disorders that may adversely affect their education and can lead to serious health issues and even death.
(2) The Legislature further finds that nationwide, student mental health issues resulting in acts of self-harm and increasing the rate and severity of eating disorders has been exacerbated by the adverse social and mental health effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
(3) Consequently, the Legislature finds that it is imperative that those in our education system closest to our students receive training to increase their ability to better recognize students who may be exhibiting signs of self-harm behavior and eating disorders and therefore are at risk of serious health issues and even death.
(b) On or before September 1, 2022, the State Board of Education shall provide for the routine education of all professional educators, including principals and administrators, and those service personnel having direct contact with students on warning signs and resources to assist in self-harm behavior and eating disorder awareness, prevention, and treatment under guidelines established by the state board. The education may be accomplished through self-review of materials and resources approved by the state board.
(c) On or before September 1, 2022, a public middle and high school administrator shall disseminate and provide opportunities to discuss self-harm and eating disorder awareness, prevention, and treatment information to all middle and high school students. The information may be obtained from the Bureau for Behavioral Health and Health Facilities or from commercially developed awareness and prevention training programs for the awareness, treatment resources and prevention of self-harm behavior and eating disorders approved by the State Board of Education in consultation with the bureau to assure the accuracy and appropriateness of the information.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to establish a program in public schools to provide training and awareness for school personnel and students for awareness, treatment resources and the prevention of self-harm and eating disorders in students and for the dissemination of information to middle and high school students relating to self-harm behavior and eating disorders.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.