SB 10: Pupil health: opioid overdose prevention and treatment: Melanie’s Law.

(1)Existing law authorizes a public or private elementary or secondary school to determine whether or not to make emergency naloxone hydrochloride or another opioid antagonist and trained personnel available at its school, and to designate one or more volunteers to receive related training to address an opioid overdose, as specified.

This bill would state the Legislatures encouragement of county offices of education to establish a County Working Group on Fentanyl Education in Schools, as provided, for the purposes of outreach, building awareness, and collaborating with local health agencies regarding fentanyl overdoses. The bill would require the State Department of Education to curate and maintain on its internet website, among other things, informational materials containing awareness and safety advice, for school staff, pupils, and parents or guardians of pupils, on how to prevent an opioid overdose.

(2)Under existing law, each school district and county office of education is responsible for the overall development of a comprehensive school safety plan for each of its schools operating kindergarten or any of grades 1 to 12, inclusive, in cooperation with certain local entities. Existing law requires that the plan identify appropriate strategies and programs that will provide or maintain a high level of school safety and address the schools procedures for complying with existing laws related to school safety. Existing law requires a petition to establish a charter school to include, among other things, a reasonably comprehensive description of the procedures that the charter school will follow to ensure the health and safety of pupils and staff, including requiring the development and annual update of a school safety plan that includes certain safety topics and procedures.

This bill would additionally require a comprehensive school safety plan, and the school safety plan of a charter school, for a school serving pupils in any of grades 7 to 12, inclusive, to include the development of a protocol in the event a pupil is suffering or is reasonably believed to be suffering from an opioid overdose. By creating new duties for local educational agencies, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

(3)Existing law states the intent of the Legislature that alternatives to suspension or expulsion be imposed against a pupil who is truant, tardy, or otherwise absent from school activities. Existing law further states legislative intent that the Multi-Tiered System of Supports, which includes restorative justice practices, among other things, may be used to help pupils, as specified.

This bill would state the intent of the Legislature that a school use alternatives to a referral of a pupil to a law enforcement agency in response to an incident involving the pupils misuse of an opioid, to the extent not in conflict with any other law requiring that referral. The bill would state legislative intent that the above-described Multi-Tiered System of Supports may be used to achieve these alternatives.

(4)This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 32282 of the Education Code proposed by SB 323 and SB 671 to be operative only if this bill and either or both of those bills are enacted and this bill is enacted last.

This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 47605 of the Education Code proposed by AB 1604 and SB 671 to be operative only if this bill and either or both of those bills are enacted and this bill is enacted last.

This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 47605.6 of the Education Code proposed by AB 1604 and SB 671 to be operative only if this bill and either or both of those bills are enacted and this bill is enacted last.

(5)The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.

This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.