NC H285

State Board of Education must develop a youth suicide awareness and prevention training program requiring at least two hours of evidence-informed instruction for school personnel working with grades 6-12, covering suicide risk factors, warning signs, and referral resources.

Each public school unit must provide the training program to eligible school personnel within 12 months of employment and every two years thereafter at no cost to employees; training may be delivered electronically, via videoconferencing, or through designated materials.

School units may develop locally-approved plans meeting specific requirements including specialized training for student support staff, safety protocols for at-risk students, designation of a suicide prevention responder, parent communication procedures, and post-intervention plans.

Department of Public Instruction shall conduct periodic random audits of public school units for compliance and report results annually to legislative oversight committees.

Provides liability protection for school boards, employees, and volunteers from civil damages unless acts constitute gross negligence, wanton conduct, or intentional wrongdoing; applies to charter schools, regional schools, and lab schools beginning with the 2018-2019 school year.