Title: Continuing Education or Inservice Training for Public School Personnel

Summary: Requiring the Commissioner of Education to develop recommendations to incorporate instruction in suicide prevention into continuing education or inservice training requirements; requiring the Department of Education to incorporate the recommendations into existing requirements; authorizing the State Board of Education to adopt rules, etc.

Full Text:
An act relating to continuing education or inservice training for public school personnel; creating s. 1012.583, F.S.; requiring the Commissioner of Education to develop recommendations to incorporate instruction in suicide prevention into continuing education or inservice training requirements; requiring the Department of Education to incorporate the recommendations into existing requirements; authorizing the State Board of Education to adopt rules; providing an effective date. Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: Section 1. Section 1012.583, Florida Statutes, is created to read: 1012.583  Continuing education or inservice training in suicide prevention.  (1) The Legislature recognizes the importance of educating public school personnel in the prevention of youth suicide and providing public school personnel with access to suicide prevention educational resources. (2) The Commissioner of Education shall develop recommendations to incorporate instruction in suicide prevention into continuing education or inservice training requirements for instructional and administrative personnel. These recommendations shall include, but are not limited to, instruction regarding the use of available state and local educational resources that promote awareness about, and prevention of, youth suicide. (3) Beginning with the 2012-2013 school year, the Department of Education shall incorporate the recommendations of the commissioner into existing requirements for the continuing education or inservice training of instructional and administrative personnel. The requirements of this section may not add to the total hours required for continuing education or inservice training as currently established by the department. (4) The State Board of Education may adopt rules pursuant to ss. 120.536 (1) and 120.54 to implement this section. Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.