In recent years, schools across the nation have faced a surge in student anxiety, depression, and behavioral health challenges. While the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated these issues, educators and mental health professionals continue to report elevated levels of stress, social isolation, and violence among youth. Many students are still struggling to reconnect and build healthy coping skills, underscoring the urgent need for sustained mental health and violence prevention education in our schools.
 
That is why I plan to introduce the SAVE Students Act, which would require schools to implement at least one hour, or a standard class period, per year of suicide prevention training, violence prevention training, and social inclusion training to students in grades six through twelve.
 
Research has proven that these types of programs effectively teach youth and adults how to prevent school violence, shootings, and other harmful acts. Students and educators learn how to identify at-risk behaviors and intervene to get help. These early-prevention measures empower everyone to keep our schools and communities safe.
 
The effort to implement this training has been advocated for by Sandy Hook Promise, a non-profit group based in Newtown, Connecticut, and led by several family members whose loved ones were killed in the 2012 mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School.
 
This is a reintroduction of Senate Bill 764 from last session, which was co-sponsored by Sens. Kearney, Dillon, Cappelletti, Fontana, Haywood, Hughes, Tartaglione, Comitta, Street, Kane, Costa, Collett, Schwank, Brewster, and Miller.