AB 2691: Pupil health: pupil and school staff trauma: Trauma-Informed Schools Initiative.

Existing law requires the governing board of any school district to give diligent care to the health and physical development of pupils and authorizes the governing board of a school district to employ properly certified persons for the work.

This bill would establish within the State Department of Education the Trauma-Informed Schools Initiative to address the impact of adverse childhood experiences on the educational outcomes of California pupils. The bill would require the department, if it determines appropriate funding is available, to take specified actions, on or before December 31, 2020, to implement the initiative, including developing and posting online an Internet Web site with information regarding the trauma-informed care approach, as defined, and a guide created by the department for public schools, including charter schools, on how to become trauma-informed schools, as defined. The bill would require school districts and charter schools to provide the Internet Web address of that Internet Web site to parents and guardians, as specified. To the extent the bill would impose additional duties on school districts and charter schools, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would require the department, with the Student Mental Health Policy Workgroup, to consult with the State Department of Social Services for assistance in implementing the initiative.

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.