An Act To Increase Suicide Awareness and Prevention in Maine Public Schools
Maine Legislature, Session 126, LD 0609
Committee Amendment CA_A_H86 (House)
Amends: 20-A MRSA §4502

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "II " to H.P. 428, L.D. 609, Bill, "An Act To 
Increase Suicide Awareness and Prevention in Maine Public Schools" 
Amend the bill by inserting after the title the following: 
'Mandate preamble. This measure requires one or more local units of government 
to expand or modify activities so as to necessitate additional expenditures from local 
revenues but does not provide funding for at least 90% of those expenditures. Pursuant to 
the Constitution of Maine, Article IX, Section 21, 2/3 of all of the members elected to 
each House have determined it necessary to enact this measure.' 
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the enacting clause and before the 
summary and inserting the following: 
'Sec. 1. 20-A MRSA §4502, sub-§5-B is enacted to read: 
5-B. Suicide awareness education and training. Each school administrative unit 
shall develop a plan for suicide prevention awareness education for all school personnel 
and suicide prevention and intervention training for certain personnel in accordance with 
this subsection. 
A. Beginning in the 2014-2015 school year for high schools and in the 2015-2016 
school year for elementary and middle schools, a one-hour to 2-hour in-service 
training module in suicide prevention awareness must be completed by all school 
personnel. 
School personnel shall complete the training module by the 
commencement of the school year or, for those employees who are newly hired, 
within 6 months from the beginning of employment. Suicide prevention awareness 
education must be repeated every 5 years. 
B. Beginning in the 2014-2015 school year, a one-day course in suicide prevention 
and intervention training that will result in at least 2 school personnel trained in 
suicide prevention and intervention must be implemented by each school 
administrative unit and by each island, charter and public school that is not in a 
school administrative unit. Additional trained school personnel above the minimum 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" 4" to H.P. 428, L.D. 609 
of 2 must receive the training if the number of students in the school administrative 
unit is above 1,000 as follows: 
(1) For 1,001 to 1,500 students, one additional school employee; 
(2) For 1,501 to 2,000 students, 2 additional school personnel; 
(3) For 2,001 to 2,500 students, 3 additional school personnel; 
(4) For 2,501 to 3,000 students, 4 additional school personnel; 
(5) For 3,001 to 3,500 students, 5 additional school personnel; 
(6) For 3,501 to 4,000 st:udents, 6 additional school personnel; 
(7) For 4,001 to 4,500 st.dents, 7 additional school personnel; 
(8) For 4,501 to 5,000 ~:tudents, 8 additional school personnel; 
(9) For 5,001 to 5,500 students, 9 additional school personnel; 
(10) For 5,501 to 6,000 students, 10 additional school personnel; 
(11) For 6,001 to 6,500_§Judents, 11 additional school personnel; 
(12) For 6,501 to 7,000 ~tudents, 12 additional school personnel; 
(13) For 7,001 to 7,500 students, 13 additional school personnel; and 
(14) For 7,501 or more ::;t_;ldents, 14 additional school personnel. 
Suicide prevention and inte:~:ention training must be repeated every 5 years. 
C. Suicide prevention awareness education and suicide prevention and intervention 
training under this subsedon must conform to national guidelines adopted by 
organizations that offer bestJ2ractices, research-based training. 
D. 
Training pursuant to this subsection must count toward satisfaction of 
professional development requirements for the department and certification 
requirements for teachers ~.tid other professional personnel under chapters 501 and 
502. 
The department shall adopt rules to implement this subsection. The rules must include, 
but are not limited to, implementation standards for suicide prevention awareness 
education and for suicide prevention and intervention training. Standards adopted for 
suicide prevention awareness education must be made available on the department's 
publicly accessible website. Rules adopted pursuant to this subsection before July 1, 
2014 are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A. 
Beginning July 1, 2014, rules adopted by the department pursuant to this subsection are 
major substantive rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A.' 
SUMMARY 
This amendment strikes and replaces the bill. It adds a mandate preamble and 
provides that all of the requirements proposed in the bill for suicide prevention awareness 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" A" to H.P. 428, L.D. 609 
education and suicide prevention and intervention training for school personnel are 
included in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 20-A, section 4502. The amendment also 
provides that rules adopted by the Department of Education on standards for suicide 
awareness education and suicide prevention and intervention training for school 
personnel are routine technical rules, but that, beginning July 1, 2014, any subsequent 
changes to rules are major substantive rules. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Approved: 04/08/13 
;W"a'C 
LD609 
LR 82(02) 
An Act To Increase Suicide Awareness and Prevention in Maine Public Schools 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment '~"(H -8b ) 
Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs 
State Mandates 
Required Activity 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
State Mandate - Exempted 
Requires completion of a one-day course in suicide prevention and intervention 
training for a minimum of 2 persons per school administrative unit, island school, 
charter school and public school that is not in a school administrative unit. 
Requires completion of a one to 2 hour in-service training module in suicide 
prevention awareness education by all school personnel. 
Unit Affected 
Local Cost 
School 
Moderate 
statewide 
School 
Insignificant 
statewide 
Pursuant to the Mandate Preamble, the two-thirds vote of all members elected to each House exempts the state from 
the constitutional requirement to fund 90% of the additional costs. 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Additional costs to the Department of Education associated with the rulemaking process can be absorbed within 
existing budgeted resources. 
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