Jason Flatt Act
The Jason Flatt Act started as an idea that was presented by a young legislator in New Jersey in 2001. He asked, “Have you ever thought about working with teacher’s In-Service Training requirements to have educators trained?” That began our working with organizations in New Jersey and then Colorado to influence legislation for including youth suicide awareness and prevention training within Teacher’s In-Service and eventually resulting in basis for The Jason Flatt Act.
In 2007, The Jason Flatt Act was first passed in Tennessee and became the nation’s most inclusive and mandatory youth suicide awareness and prevention legislation pertaining to Teacher’s In-Service Training. It required all educators in the state to complete 2 hours of youth suicide awareness. In all, 21 states have now passed The Jason Flatt Act (over 40% of all states).
On May 13, 2016 Governor Sam Brownback signed The Jason Flatt Act – Kansas in memory of Cady Housh (SB323) into law, making Kansas the 19th state to pass The Jason Flatt Act since 2007.
The Jason Flatt Act
SB323
Effective May 13, 2016
Major components of the legislation are:
Requiring suicide prevention training for school district personnel; amending K.S.A. 2015 Supp. 75-2319
The board of education of each school district shall provide suicide awareness and prevention programming to all school staff and shall notify the parents or legal guardians of students enrolled in such school district that the training materials provided under such programming are available to such parents or legal guardians.
Such programming shall include, at a minimum:
- At least one hour of training each calendar year based on programs approved by the state board of education. Such training may be satisfied through independent self-review of suicide prevention training materials; and
- A building crisis plan developed for each school building. Such plan shall include:
- Steps for recognizing suicide ideation;
- Appropriate methods of intervention; and
- A crisis recovery plan
On or before January 1, 2017, the state board of education shall adopt rules and regulation necessary to implement the provisions of the section.