House Bill 268 proposes a range of policies to improve student safety, mental health, and well-being in Georgia’s elementary and secondary schools. The bill includes funding for school-based mental health coordinators, new student behavioral assessments, and expanded school safety measures. It also enhances information sharing between schools, law enforcement, and state agencies to improve student support and security.
Key details:
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Mental Health Coordinators: School districts could receive state grants to hire mental health coordinators to support students and provide training on behavioral health.
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Behavioral and Suicide Prevention Training: All teachers would be required to receive annual training in youth violence and suicide awareness. Middle and high school students would receive at least one hour of evidence-based suicide and violence prevention training per year.
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Student Behavioral Threat Assessments & Management: Among other actions to manage potential threats, the bill creates a statewide threat assessment database (School and Student Safety Database, or S3 Database) to help schools identify and track potential threats.
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Student Records & Data Sharing: Schools, law enforcement, and state agencies would have expanded access to student education and behavioral records to better coordinate support for students with behavioral health needs.
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Public School Law Enforcement Agreements: Any law enforcement officers working in schools must have clear agreements outlining how they handle student information and disciplinary matters.
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Parental Rights & School Transfers: Parents must provide behavioral and disciplinary history for students transferring into schools.
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Mandatory Mental Health Screenings for At-Risk Students: The Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD) would recommend standardized mental health screening assessments for schools.