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SECOND REGULAR SESSION
HOUSE BILL NO. 3540
103RD GENERAL ASSEMBL Y
INTRODUCED BY REPRESENT A TIVE REUTER.
7529H.01I JOSEPH ENGLER, Chief Clerk
AN ACT
T o amend chapter 160, RSMo, by adding thereto one new section relating to the journaling
for joy program.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Missouri, as follows:
Section A. Chapter 160, RSMo, is amended by adding thereto one new section, to be
2 known as section 160.3500, to read as follows:
160.3500. 1. The department of elementary and secondary education shall
2 develop and make available to school districts and charter schools a voluntary
3 pr eventative mental wellness prog ram known as the "Journaling for Joy Pr ogram".
4 The prog ram shall be designed to pr omote emotional res ilience, self-r eflection, and
5 positive behavioral outcomes thr ough structur ed journaling practices. The pr ogram
6 shall be nonclinical in natur e and shall not be construed to pr ovide mental health
7 diagnosis, tr eatment, or counseling.
8 2. Beginning in the 2027-28 school year , any school district or charter school may
9 elect to implement the prog ram for students enrol led in:
10 (1) Third grade;
11 (2) Sixth grade; and
12 (3) T welfth grade.
13 3. The department shall appr ove age-appr opriate curriculum for each grade
14 level. Each curriculum shall include:
15 (1) A student journaling workbook;
16 (2) An instructor guide for classro om implementation;
17 (3) Structured prompt s and ref lective exercises ;
EXPLANA TION — Matter enclosed in bold-faced brackets [thus] in the above bill is not enacted and is
intended to be omitted from the law . Matter in bold-face type in the above bill is proposed language.
18 (4) Instruction in personal res ponsibility , emotional r egulation, goal setting, and
19 conflict de-escalation; and
20 (5) Optional family engagement r esources .
21 4. Any school district or charter school that elects to implement the pro gram and
22 pur chases the appr oved curriculum shall ensur e that participating teachers complete a
23 training pr ogram appr oved by the department prior to prov iding instruction. The
24 department may offer such training thr ough in-person or virtual delivery and may
25 award profes sional development cred it for completion.
26 5. The pr ogram shall be student-centered, trauma-informed, and focused on
27 building pr otective factors that reduc e the risk of self-harm and interpersonal violence.
28 No personally identifiable student mental health data shall be collected for purposes of
29 the pro gram.
30 6. Subject to appr opriation, the department shall:
31 (1) Maintain a list of appr oved curriculum provi ders;
32 (2) Develop pr ogram guidance for participating schools; and
33 (3) Pr ovide technical assistance upon r equest.
34 7. The department may seek and accept grants, gifts, donations, and federal
35 funds for the purpose of implementing this section.
36 8. No later than December first of each even-number ed year , the department of
37 elementary and secondary education shall submit a repor t to the general assembly that
38 includes:
39 (1) The number of participating schools and districts;
40 (2) The number of students served;
41 (3) A vailable aggreg ate, non-identifiable outcome data rel ating to school climate,
42 attendance, and disciplinary incidents; and
43 (4) Recommendations for continuation or modification of the pr ogram.
44 9. Implementation of this section shall be subject to appr opriation.
45 10. The dir ector of the department of elementary and secondary education may
46 pr omulgate all necessary rules and reg ulations for the administration of this section.
47 Any rule or portion of a rule, as that term is defined in section 536.010, that is creat ed
48 under the authority delegated in this section shall become effective only if it complies
49 with and is subject to all of the pr ovisions of chapter 536 and, if applicable, section
50 536.028. This section and chapter 536 are nonseverable and if any of the powers vested
51 with the general assembly pursuant to chapter 536 to rev iew , to delay the effective date,
52 or to disappr ove and annul a rule are subsequently held unconstitutional, then the grant
53 of rulemaking authority and any rule pr oposed or adopted after August 28, 2026, shall
54 be invalid and void.
HB 3540 2
55 1 1. The pr ovisions of this section shall expir e on August 28, 2033.
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