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SENATE BILL NO. 41 am H
IN THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA
THIRTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE - SECOND SESSION
BY SENATORS GRAY-JACKSON, Claman, Giessel, Dunbar, Tobin, Kawasaki, Hoffman, Cronk
REPRESENTATIVES Frier, Dibert, Josephson, Himschoot, Hall, Bynum, Mina, Gray
Amended: 5/12/26
Introduced: 1/22/25
A BILL
FOR AN ACT ENTITLED
"An Act relating to mental health education." 1
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 2
* Section 1. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section 3
to read: 4
LEGISLATIVE INTENT. It is the intent of the legislature that the Board of Education 5
and Early Development develop guidelines for instruction in mental health in consultation 6
with the Department of Health, the Department of Family and Community Services, regional 7
tribal health organizations, and representatives of national and state mental health 8
organizations. 9
* Sec. 2. AS 14.03.016(a) is amended to read: 10
(a) A local school board shall, in consultation with parents, teachers, and 11
school administrators, adopt policies to promote the involvement of parents in the 12
school district's education program. The policies must include procedures 13
(1) recognizing the authority of a parent and allowing a parent to 14
object to and withdraw the child from a standards-based assessment or test required by 15
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the state; 1
(2) recognizing the authority of a parent and allowing a parent to 2
object to and withdraw the child from an activity, class, or program; 3
(3) providing for parent notification not less than two weeks before 4
any activity, class, or program that includes content involving human reproduction or 5
sexual matters is provided to a child; 6
(4) recognizing the authority of a parent and allowing a parent to 7
withdraw the child from an activity, class, program, or standards-based assessment or 8
test required by the state for a religious holiday, as defined by the parent; 9
(5) providing a parent with an opportunity to review the content of an 10
activity, class, performance standard, or program; 11
(6) ensuring that, when a child is absent from an activity, class, 12
program, or standards-based assessment or test required by the state under this section, 13
the absence is not considered an unlawful absence under AS 14.30.020 if the child's 14
parent withdrew the child from the activity, class, program, or standards-based 15
assessment or test or gave permission for the child's absence; 16
(7) providing for parent notification not less than two weeks before 17
any class or program that provides instruction in mental health is provided to a 18
child. 19
* Sec. 3. AS 14.30.360(a) is amended to read: 20
(a) Each district in the state public school system shall be encouraged to 21
initiate and conduct a program in health education for kindergarten through grade 12. 22
The program should include instruction in [PHYSICAL] health and personal safety 23
including alcohol and drug abuse education, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), 24
early cancer prevention and detection, dental health, family health including infant 25
care, environmental health, mental health, physical health, the identification and 26
prevention of child abuse, child abduction, neglect, sexual abuse, and domestic 27
violence, and appropriate use of health services. 28
* Sec. 4. AS 14.30.360(b) is amended to read: 29
(b) The state board shall establish guidelines for a health and personal safety 30
education program, including guidelines for developmentally appropriate 31
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instruction in mental health. The state board shall use medically and scientifically 1
based content when developing the guidelines for developmentally appropriate 2
instruction in mental health and may not include in the guidelines any political, 3
ideological, or advocacy-oriented content that is unrelated to student mental 4
health. In developing guidelines for developmentally appropriate instruction in 5
mental health, the state board shall consult with the Department of Health, the 6
Department of Family and Community Services, regional tribal health 7
organizations, and representatives of national and state mental health 8
organizations. Personal safety guidelines shall be developed in consultation with the 9
Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault. Upon request, the Department of 10
Education and Early Development, the Department of Health, the Department of 11
Family and Community Services, and the Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual 12
Assault shall provide technical assistance to school districts in the development of 13
personal safety curricula. A school health education specialist position shall be 14
established and funded in the department to coordinate the program statewide. 15
Adequate funds to enable curriculum and resource development, adequate consultation 16
to school districts, and a program of teacher training in health and personal safety 17
education shall be provided. 18
* Sec. 5. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 19
read: 20
REPORT TO THE LEGISLATURE. Two years after the effective date of this Act, the 21
state Board of Education and Early Development shall submit a report to the senate secretary 22
and chief clerk of the house of representatives and notify the legislature that the report is 23
available. The report must 24
(1) include a copy of the guidelines for developmentally appropriate 25
instruction in mental health developed by the state Board of Education and Early 26
Development as required under AS 14.30.360(b), as amended by sec. 4 of this Act; and 27
(2) describe the process the state Board of Education and Early Development 28
used to develop the guidelines. 29
* Sec. 6. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 30
read: 31
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TRANSITION. The state Board of Education and Early Development shall develop 1
the mental health guidelines required by AS 14.30.360(b), as amended by sec. 4 of this Act, 2
within two years after the effective date of this Act. 3