AB298 - Revises provisions relating to school counselors. (BDR 34-532)

A.B. 298 - *AB298* ASSEMBLY BILL NO. 298–COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION (ON BEHALF OF THE JOINT INTERIM STANDING COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION) FEBRUARY 27, 2025 ____________ Referred to Committee on Education SUMMARY—Revises provisions relating to school counselors. (BDR 34-532) FISCAL NOTE: Effect on Local Government: May have Fiscal Impact. Effect on the State: Yes. CONTAINS UNFUNDED MANDATE (§ 1) (NOT REQUESTED BY AFFECTED LOCAL GOVERNMENT) ~ EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new; matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted. AN ACT relating to education; requiring each public school to employ a school counselor on a full-time basis and to provide for a comprehensive program for school counseling developed by a school counselor; and providing other matters properly relating thereto. Legislative Counsel’s Digest: Existing law requires a public school, including, without limitation, a charter 1 school, to employ a school counselor on a full-time basis and provide for a 2 comprehensive program for school counseling developed by a school counselor 3 only to the extent that money is available for that purpose. (NRS 388.055) Section 4 1 of this bill eliminates the provision which makes these requirements contingent 5 upon the availability of money for that purpose, thereby requiring each public 6 school to employ a school counselor on a full-time basis and provide for a 7 comprehensive program for school counseling developed by a school counselor. 8 To conform with the change in section 1 requiring each public school to 9 employ a school counselor on a full-time basis, sections 2 and 3 of this bill 10 eliminate language which makes the appointment of certain persons, including a 11 school counselor, school psychologist or social worker, to teams involved in the 12 provision of a safe and respectful learning environment at a school contingent upon 13 the school employing such a person on a full-time basis. 14 – 2 – - *AB298* THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: Section 1. NRS 388.055 is hereby amended to read as follows: 1 388.055 Each public school, including, without limitation, each 2 charter school, shall : [, to the extent that money is available for that 3 purpose:] 4 1. Employ a school counselor at the school on a full-time basis. 5 2. Provide for a comprehensive program for school counseling 6 developed by a school counselor pursuant to NRS 391.293. 7 Sec. 2. NRS 388.1344 is hereby amended to read as follows: 8 388.1344 1. Each school safety team established pursuant to 9 NRS 388.1343 must consist of the administrator of the school or his 10 or her designee and the following persons appointed by the 11 administrator: 12 (a) A school counselor, school psychologist or social worker ; 13 [if the school employs a person in such a position full-time;] 14 (b) At least one teacher who teaches at the school; 15 (c) At least one parent or legal guardian of a pupil enrolled in 16 the school; 17 (d) A school police officer or school resource officer if the 18 school employs a person in such a position full-time; 19 (e) For a middle school, junior high school or high school, one 20 pupil enrolled in the school; and 21 (f) Any other persons appointed by the administrator. 22 2. The administrator of the school or his or her designee shall 23 serve as the chair of the school safety team. 24 3. The school safety team shall: 25 (a) Meet at least two times each year; 26 (b) Identify and address patterns of discrimination based on 27 race, bullying or cyber-bullying; 28 (c) Review and strengthen school policies to prevent and 29 address discrimination based on race, bullying or cyber-bullying; 30 (d) Provide information to school personnel, pupils enrolled in 31 the school and parents and legal guardians of pupils enrolled in the 32 school on methods to address bullying and cyber-bullying; 33 (e) To the extent practicable, work with members of the 34 community with expertise in cultural competency; and 35 (f) To the extent money is available, participate in any training 36 conducted by the school district or school regarding bullying and 37 cyber-bullying. 38 4. To the extent practicable, the school safety team must 39 consist of members who are representative of the demographic 40 groups identified in subsection 1 of NRS 388.1235. 41 – 3 – - *AB298* Sec. 3. NRS 388.14553 is hereby amended to read as follows: 1 388.14553 1. The board of trustees of a school district or the 2 governing body of a charter school shall: 3 (a) Appoint a team of at least three members of the staff of each 4 public school, other than a charter school, that is located in the 5 school district or of the charter school, as applicable, including, 6 without limitation, a school counselor, psychologist, social worker 7 or a similar person [, if the school employs such a person on a full- 8 time basis,] and a school administrator. The team must receive 9 notification if the support center receives: 10 (1) A report through the SafeVoice Program of any 11 dangerous, violent or unlawful activity which is being conducted, or 12 is threatened to be conducted, on the property of the school, at an 13 activity sponsored by the school, on a school bus of the school or by 14 a pupil enrolled at the school; or 15 (2) Notification through the Handle with Care Program of a 16 pupil who was exposed to a traumatic event. 17 (b) Ensure that information concerning the SafeVoice Program, 18 including, without limitation, the telephone number for the hotline 19 established pursuant to NRS 388.1455: 20 (1) Appears on the back of any identification card issued to 21 pupils and staff at the school; and 22 (2) Is posted in conspicuous locations around the school, 23 which may include, without limitation, the front office, the cafeteria 24 or a school bus. 25 2. Upon receiving notification from the support center through 26 the SafeVoice Program or the Handle with Care Program, a member 27 of the appropriate team appointed pursuant to paragraph (a) of 28 subsection 1 shall take appropriate action in accordance with the 29 training he or she has received pursuant to NRS 388.1455 or 30 388.14538 to respond to the activity, threat or traumatic event, as 31 applicable. 32 3. The team appointed pursuant to paragraph (a) of subsection 33 1 may: 34 (a) Include a person appointed by the public school pursuant to 35 NRS 388.247 to a committee to review the plan developed for the 36 school pursuant to NRS 388.243. 37 (b) Allow another person to temporarily serve on the team if a 38 member of the team is unavailable. 39 Sec. 4. The provisions of NRS 354.599 do not apply to any 40 additional expenses of a local government that are related to the 41 provisions of this act. 42 Sec. 5. This act becomes effective on July 1, 2025. 43 H