Student health: athletic coaches: mental health training.

Plain English Breakdown

The bill has passed the legislature but its final status depends on whether it is signed into law by the governor.

Student Health: Athletic Coaches Mental Health Training

This law requires certain educational institutions in California to provide mental health training for athletic coaches, focusing on suicide prevention education.

What This Bill Does

• Requires the California State University, community colleges, and private postsecondary schools receiving state financial assistance to create a list of mental health training programs by July 1, 2028.
• Mandates that athletic coaches complete one of these trainings before they can work or volunteer and every two years after that.
• Requires the trainings to include suicide prevention education.

Who It Names or Affects

• Athletic coaches in California State University, community colleges, private postsecondary schools receiving state financial assistance.
• Educational institutions like California State University, community colleges, and private postsecondary schools that receive state financial assistance.

Terms To Know

state-mandated local program

A program where the state requires local agencies or school districts to do something specific.

reimbursement

Money given back by the state to help cover costs that local agencies or schools have to pay because of new rules from the state.

Limits and Unknowns

• The University of California is requested but not required to create a list of mental health training programs.
• It's unclear if this law will be signed into effect by the governor after passing through the legislature.
• Local agencies and school districts may need state money to cover costs related to implementing these new requirements.

Official Summary Text

AB 1985, as amended, Irwin.
Student health: athletic coaches: mental health training.
Existing law establishes the California Community Colleges, the California State University, the University of California, independent institutions of higher education, and private postsecondary educational institutions as the segments of postsecondary education in the state.
This bill, which would be known as Sarah Shulze’s Law, would require the California State University, the
office of the Chancellor of the
California Community Colleges, and each private postsecondary educational institution and independent institution of higher education that receives state financial assistance, and would request the University of California, on or before July 1, 2028, to identify and compile a list of mental health training programs that can be
used to train athletic coaches. The bill would require the trainings, at a minimum, to cover suicide prevention education. The bill would require each campus of the California State University, each community college of a community college district, and each private postsecondary educational institution and independent institution of higher education that receives state financial assistance, and would request each campus of the University of California, to require a person who serves as a coach in an athletic program, as a condition of the person’s employment or volunteer service, to complete one of the identified student mental health trainings on or before July 1, 2028, and every 2 years thereafter. By imposing new duties on community college districts, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state.
Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.

Current Bill Text

Download Bill PDF