Resolve, Directing the Department of Education To Adopt Protocols Designed To Prevent Youth Suicide

Sec. 1. Rulemaking; required suicide prevention protocols. Resolved: That the Commissioner of Education shall amend the Department of Education's rule Chapter 38: Suicide Awareness and Prevention in Maine Public Schools to require that school administrative units have protocols for suicide prevention and intervention and counseling services after an incident of youth suicide in place that are reviewed and approved by the Department of Education based on the best practices established by the National Alliance on Mental Illness Maine or a similar organization authorized by the Department of Health and Human Services through its suicide prevention program; and be it further

Sec. 2. Submission of rules. Resolved: That the rules to be amended by the Commissioner of Education in accordance with this resolve are major substantive rules pursuant to the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 20-A, section 4502, subsection 5-B. In order to implement the protocols as part of the State's suicide awareness education and training programs beginning with the 2019-2020 school year, the Department of Education shall provisionally adopt amended rules on or before December 31, 2018. The department shall submit the provisionally adopted rules to the Executive Director of the Legislative Council by the deadline established for the legislative rule acceptance period in 2019 in accordance with Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A.