The House of Representatives today approved legislation sponsored by Rep. Terri Cortvriend to require all public school districts to adopt suicide prevention policies and train all personnel in suicide awareness and prevention annually.
The Nathan Bruno and Jason Flatt Act (2021-H 5353) would require all school personnel — including teachers, administration, custodians, lunch personnel, substitutes, nurses, coaches, and coaching staff, even if volunteers — to be trained in suicide prevention and awareness. The state Department of Education would establish the guidelines for the training curriculum.
The bill is named for Nathan Bruno, a 15-year-old Portsmouth High School student who took his life in 2018. Part of the bill is modeled after a state law passed in Tennessee and 19 other states, which was named after Jason Flatt, a 16-year-old from Nashville who died by suicide.