HF 1209

2nd Engrossment - 89th Legislature (2015 - 2016) Posted on 03/23/2015 03:56pm

A bill for an act
relating to health; requiring suicide prevention training; requiring a report;
appropriating money; amending Minnesota Statutes 2014, sections 122A.09,
subdivision 4; 145.56, subdivisions 2, 4.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 122A.09, subdivision 4, is amended to read:

Subd. 4.

License and rules.

(a) The board must adopt rules to license public school
teachers and interns subject to chapter 14.

(b) The board must adopt rules requiring a person to pass a skills examination in
reading, writing, and mathematics or attain either a composite score composed of the
average of the scores in English and writing, reading, and mathematics on the ACT
Plus Writing recommended by the board, or an equivalent composite score composed
of the average of the scores in critical reading, mathematics, and writing on the SAT
recommended by the board, as a requirement for initial teacher licensure, except that the
board may issue up to two temporary, one-year teaching licenses to an otherwise qualified
candidate who has not yet passed the skills exam or attained the requisite composite score
on the ACT Plus Writing or SAT. Such rules must require college and universities offering
a board-approved teacher preparation program to provide remedial assistance to persons
who did not achieve a qualifying score on the skills examination or attain the requisite
composite score on the ACT Plus Writing or SAT, including those for whom English is
a second language. The requirement to pass a reading, writing, and mathematics skills
examination or attain the requisite composite score on the ACT Plus Writing or SAT does
not apply to nonnative English speakers, as verified by qualified Minnesota school district
personnel or Minnesota higher education faculty, who, after meeting the content and
pedagogy requirements under this subdivision, apply for a teaching license to provide direct
instruction in their native language or world language instruction under section 120B.022,
subdivision 1. A teacher candidate's official ACT Plus Writing or SAT composite score
report to the board must not be more than ten years old at the time of licensure.

(c) The board must adopt rules to approve teacher preparation programs. The board,
upon the request of a postsecondary student preparing for teacher licensure or a licensed
graduate of a teacher preparation program, shall assist in resolving a dispute between the
person and a postsecondary institution providing a teacher preparation program when the
dispute involves an institution's recommendation for licensure affecting the person or the
person's credentials. At the board's discretion, assistance may include the application
of chapter 14.

(d) The board must provide the leadership and adopt rules for the redesign of teacher
education programs to implement a research based, results-oriented curriculum that
focuses on the skills teachers need in order to be effective. The board shall implement new
systems of teacher preparation program evaluation to assure program effectiveness based
on proficiency of graduates in demonstrating attainment of program outcomes. Teacher
preparation programs including alternative teacher preparation programs under section
122A.245, among other programs, must include a content-specific, board-approved,
performance-based assessment that measures teacher candidates in three areas: planning
for instruction and assessment; engaging students and supporting learning; and assessing
student learning. The board's redesign rules must include creating flexible, specialized
teaching licenses, credentials, and other endorsement forms to increase students'
participation in language immersion programs, world language instruction, career
development opportunities, work-based learning, early college courses and careers, career
and technical programs, Montessori schools, and project and place-based learning, among
other career and college ready learning offerings.

(e) The board must adopt rules requiring candidates for initial licenses to pass an
examination of general pedagogical knowledge and examinations of licensure-specific
teaching skills. The rules shall be effective by September 1, 2001. The rules under this
paragraph also must require candidates for initial licenses to teach prekindergarten or
elementary students to pass, as part of the examination of licensure-specific teaching
skills, test items assessing the candidates' knowledge, skill, and ability in comprehensive,
scientifically based reading instruction under section 122A.06, subdivision 4, and their
knowledge and understanding of the foundations of reading development, the development
of reading comprehension, and reading assessment and instruction, and their ability to
integrate that knowledge and understanding.

(f) The board must adopt rules requiring teacher educators to work directly with
elementary or secondary school teachers in elementary or secondary schools to obtain
periodic exposure to the elementary or secondary teaching environment.

(g) The board must grant licenses to interns and to candidates for initial licenses
based on appropriate professional competencies that are aligned with the board's licensing
system and students' diverse learning needs. All teacher candidates must have preparation
in English language development and content instruction for English learners in order to be
able to effectively instruct the English learners in their classrooms. The board must include
these licenses in a statewide differentiated licensing system that creates new leadership
roles for successful experienced teachers premised on a collaborative professional culture
dedicated to meeting students' diverse learning needs in the 21st century, recognizes the
importance of cultural and linguistic competencies, including the ability to teach and
communicate in culturally competent and aware ways, and formalizes mentoring and
induction for newly licensed teachers provided through a teacher support framework.

(h) The board must design and implement an assessment system which requires a
candidate for an initial license and first continuing license to demonstrate the abilities
necessary to perform selected, representative teaching tasks at appropriate levels.

(i) The board must receive recommendations from local committees as established
by the board for the renewal of teaching licenses. The board must require licensed teachers
who are renewing a continuing license to include in the renewal requirements further
preparation in English language development and specially designed content instruction
in English for English learners.

(j) The board must grant life licenses to those who qualify according to requirements
established by the board, and suspend or revoke licenses pursuant to sections 122A.20 and
214.10. The board must not establish any expiration date for application for life licenses.

(k) The board must adopt rules that require all licensed teachers who are renewing
their continuing license to include in their renewal requirements further preparation in
the areas of using positive behavior interventions and in accommodating, modifying, and
adapting curricula, materials, and strategies to appropriately meet the needs of individual
students and ensure adequate progress toward the state's graduation rule.

(l) In adopting rules to license public school teachers who provide health-related
services for disabled children, the board shall adopt rules consistent with license or
registration requirements of the commissioner of health and the health-related boards who
license personnel who perform similar services outside of the school.

(m) The board must adopt rules that require all licensed teachers who are renewing
their continuing license to include in their renewal requirements further reading
preparation, consistent with section 122A.06, subdivision 4. The rules do not take effect
until they are approved by law. Teachers who do not provide direct instruction including, at
least, counselors, school psychologists, school nurses, school social workers, audiovisual
directors and coordinators, and recreation personnel are exempt from this section.

(n) The board must adopt rules that require all licensed teachers who are renewing
their continuing license to include in their renewal requirements further preparation,
first, in understanding the key warning signs of early-onset mental illness in children
and adolescents and then, during subsequent licensure renewal periods, preparation may
include providing a more in-depth understanding of students' mental illness trauma,
accommodations for students' mental illness, parents' role in addressing students' mental
illness, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders, autism, the requirements of section 125A.0942
governing restrictive procedures, deleted text begin and deleted text end de-escalation methods, new text begin or best practice for suicide
prevention training, new text end among other similar topics.

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 145.56, subdivision 2, is amended to read:

Subd. 2.

Community-based programs.

To the extent funds are appropriated for the
purposes of this subdivision, the commissioner shall establish a grant program to fund:

(1) community-based programs to provide education, outreach, and advocacy
services to populations who may be at risk for suicide;

(2) community-based programs that educate community helpers and gatekeepers,
such as family members, spiritual leaders, coaches, and business owners, employers, and
coworkers on how to prevent suicide by encouraging help-seeking behaviors;

(3) community-based programs that educate populations at risk for suicide and
community helpers and gatekeepers that must include information on the symptoms
of depression and other psychiatric illnesses, the warning signs of suicide, skills for
preventing suicides, and making or seeking effective referrals to intervention and
community resources; deleted text begin and
deleted text end

(4) community-based programs to provide evidence-based suicide prevention and
intervention education to school staff, parents, and students in grades kindergarten through
12, and for students attending Minnesota colleges and universities new text begin ;
new text end

new text begin (5) community-based programs to provide evidence-based suicide prevention and
intervention to public school nurses, teachers, administrators, coaches, school social
workers, peace officers, firefighters, emergency medical technicians, advanced emergency
medical technicians, paramedics, primary care providers, and others; and
new text end

new text begin (6) community-based, evidence-based postvention training to mental health
professionals and practitioners in order to provide technical assistance to communities
after a suicide and to prevent suicide clusters and contagion new text end .

Sec. 3.

Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 145.56, subdivision 4, is amended to read:

Subd. 4.

Collection and reporting suicide data.

new text begin (a) new text end The commissioner shall
coordinate with federal, regional, local, and other state agencies to collect, analyze, and
annually issue a public report on Minnesota-specific data on suicide and suicidal behaviors.

new text begin (b) The commissioner, in consultation with stakeholders, shall submit a detailed
plan identifying proposed methods to improve the timeliness, usefulness, and quality of
suicide-related data so that the data can help identify the scope of the suicide problem,
identify high-risk groups, set priority prevention activities, and monitor the effects of
suicide prevention programs. The report shall include how to improve external cause
of injury coding, progress on implementing the Minnesota Violent Death Reporting
System, how to obtain and release data in a timely manner, and how to support the use of
psychological autopsies.
new text end

new text begin (c) The written report must be provided to the chairs and ranking minority members
of the house of representatives and senate finance and policy divisions and committees
with jurisdiction over health and human services by February 1, 2016.
new text end

Sec. 4. new text begin APPROPRIATIONS; COMMISSIONER OF HEALTH.
new text end

new text begin (a) $100,000 in fiscal year 2016 and $100,000 in fiscal year 2017 are appropriated
from the general fund to the commissioner of health to provide training as required in
Minnesota Statutes, section 145.56, subdivision 2, clause (5).
new text end

new text begin (b) $50,000 in fiscal year 2016 and $50,000 in fiscal year 2017 are appropriated
from the general fund to the commissioner of health to provide training as required in
Minnesota Statutes, section 145.56, subdivision 2, clause (6).
new text end

Sec. 5. new text begin APPROPRIATIONS; TEXT MESSAGE SUICIDE PREVENTION
PROGRAM.
new text end

new text begin $1,500,000 in fiscal year 2016 and $1,500,000 in fiscal year 2017 are appropriated
from the general fund to the commissioner of health for a grant to a nonprofit organization
to establish and implement a statewide text message suicide prevention program. The
program shall implement a suicide prevention counseling text line designed to use text
messaging to connect with crisis counselors, to obtain emergency information, and to
make referrals to local resources within the community. The program shall include
training in schools and communities to encourage use of the program.
new text end

Sec. 6. new text begin APPROPRIATIONS; MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID TRAINING.
new text end

new text begin $22,000 in fiscal year 2016 and $23,000 in fiscal year 2017 are appropriated from
the general fund to the commissioner of health to provide children and adolescents mental
health first aid training to teachers, social service personnel, law enforcement, and others
who come into contact with children with mental illnesses.
new text end