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Social, Emotional & Behavior Documents and Laws
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Jason Flatt Act
In 2007, The Jason Flatt Act was first passed in Tennessee and became the nation’s most inclusive and mandatory youth suicide awareness and prevention legislation pertaining to Teacher’s In-Service Training. It required all educators in the state to complete 2 hours of youth suicide awareness and prevention training each year in order to be able to be licensed to teach in Tennessee. This was soon followed by Louisiana and California in 2008 (California is mandated to be offered – not individual teacher requirement which is the only difference to all other states). Mississippi passed The Jason Flatt Act in 2009 follow by Illinois in 2010 and Arkansas in 2011. The year 2012 would prove to be a record-breaking year for The Jason Flatt Act passing in five states; West Virginia, Utah, Alaska, South Carolina and Ohio. North Dakota passed the legislation in 2013. Wyoming passed legislation in 2014. Georgia, Montana, and Texas passed legislation in 2015. South Dakota, Alabama, and Kansas passed the legislation in 2016. Most recently, Idaho passed The Jason Flatt Act in March of 2018. In all, 20 states have now passed The Jason Flatt Act ( 40% of all states).
In all 20 states, The Jason Flatt Act has been supported by the state’s Department of Education and the state’s Teacher’s Association which points to the value seen in such preventative training. When introduced under The Jason Flatt Act, a state can pass this important life-saving/life-changing legislation without a fiscal note.
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Erin's Law
Mandatory Reporting
Erin’s Law is named after childhood sexual assault survivor, author, speaker and activist Erin Merryn, who is the founder and President of Erin’s Law, which is registered with the State of Illinois and the IRS as a 501 (c)(4) non-profit social welfare organization.
After Erin introduced the legislation in her home state of Illinois, the bill was named “Erin’s Law” after her by legislators and it has caught on nationwide. Illinois is the first state by law to mandate child sexual abuse prevention. Vermont state board of education required this in schools since 2009. As of June 2018 Erin’s Law has been passed in 35 states.
"Erin’s Law” requires that all public schools in each state implement a prevention-oriented child sexual abuse program.
Governor Robert Bentley signed Erin’s Law (Act 2015-456) on June 11, 2015, which requires all K-12 public schools to establish a child sexual abuse prevention instructional program for students in Grades K-12 that includes at least four developmentally appropriate lessons building on skills learned in the previous years.
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Annalyn's Law
Annalyn’s Law is named after a child victim who was abused by a juvenile in Alabama.
The law states that juvenile sex offenders must submit an application to all school property and school functions, according to a draft of the model policy. They must also meet with school personnel to create and implement an individualized safety plan.
Also, schools will continue to share information and monitor the students through school enrollment changes and school personnel changes. Officials will offer training to school personnel on how to take appropriate action when an increase or escalation of certain behaviors is noticed.
Members of the advisory committee developing the policy include the state’s Law Enforcement Agency, the Alabama Department of Education, the Department of Human Resources, the Governor’s Office, the Alabama Coalition Against Rape, the Attorney General’s Office and the Southern Poverty Law Center. -
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Jamari Terrell Williams Act
Jamari Terrell Williams was a 5th grade student in Montgomery, AL who committed suicide after being bullied online. The Jamari Terrell Williams Student Harassment Act places certain responsibilities on the Board of Education to make sure cyberbullying and bullying will not be tolerated on or off campus or online. It expands the current statute to prevent student against student harassment, intimidation, violence, and threats of violence to students off campus as well. It also specifically includes cyberbullying in the definition of harassment.
