House OKs bill to promote strong school policies for mental and behavioral health support, safety
The House of Representatives today passed
legislation sponsored by Rep. Megan L. Cotter aimed at helping schools create
and implement effective mental and behavioral health and safety policies to
support students.
Megan (R) with daughter Emily
The legislation (2025-H 5165A) would require every school committee in the
state to establish a Student Safety and Behavioral Health Committee (SSBHC)
charged with ensuring that the district has a comprehensive policy to provide
mental health support to students in need and to address student behaviors to
minimize disruptions.
“We are deep in a children’s mental health crisis, and schools are on its front line and deeply affected by it. Each district needs effective policies in place to respond appropriately, effectively and compassionately to kids in need for the sake of each child and for sake of the learning environment as a whole,” said Representative Cotter (D-Dist. 39, Exeter, Richmond, Hopkinton).
“Ensuring that every school district has its stakeholders working together to prioritize these policies will help them do the very best they can to help kids with the resources available to them to keep everyone in school safe and to maintain a positive learning environment with minimal disruptions.”
Under the bill, each district’s SSBHC would have representation from its administration, at least two certified staff and two support staff with an effort to include staff from elementary, middle and high schools, and may also include a school resource officer.
In addition to
ensuring the district has comprehensive policies for student mental health
support and to address disruptions in a nonpunitive manner, the committee would
be charged with ensuring that the policies are property implemented, assessing
the mental health supports available to students, discussing and making
recommendations for possible policy and procedure improvements and providing an
annual report to the school committee on student safety, mental health and any
recommendations it may have.
The legislation is supported by the National Education
Association Rhode Island, the Rhode Island Federation of Teachers and Health
Professionals and United Way of Rhode Island.
The bill now goes to the Senate, where Sen. Peter A.
Appollonio Jr. (D-Dist. 29, Warwick) is sponsoring companion legislation (2025-S 0235).
