HJR40 Summary

• Expresses Alabama Legislature's support for the Southern Regional Education Board Crisis Recovery Support Network to provide long-term counseling and mental health support to schools and communities affected by crises such as natural disasters, school shootings, and public emergencies.

• Recognizes that schools and districts lack sufficient capacity to provide sustained mental health support during recovery, particularly in rural areas with limited counseling resources, and that affected institutions require at least one year of dedicated support.

• Directs SREB to work with governors' offices, state education agencies, local districts, and postsecondary institutions to deploy counselors with specialized psychological first aid training to schools in extreme need.

• Requires SREB to hire a network coordinator and cover travel costs for counselors during training and deployment.

• House passed on February 13, 2025; Senate adopted on April 24, 2025.