,i  #aaeth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #ecbd  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,march #ai1 #bjah,mr4
 ,ferguson introduced the following     
bill2 which was referred to the         
,committee on ,education and the        
,workforce  ,a ,,bill  ,to improve      
school safety and mental health         
services1 and for other purposes4  #a4  
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,supporting ,teachers and ,safe     
,students ,act4  #b4 ,violence          
prevention and mental health support    
7a7 ,state uses of funds ,section       
#baja7;c77#d77;,b7 of the ,elementary   
and ,secondary ,education ,act of #aife 
7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ffaa7;c77#d77;,b77 is   
amended--  7#a7 by redesignating clause 
7xxi7 as clause 7xxiv72 and  7#b7 by    
inserting after clause 7xx7 the         
following3  7xxi7 ,supporting efforts to
 increase the professional development  
that is evidence-based 7to the extent   
the ,state1 in consultation with local  
educational agencies in the ,state1     

determines that such evidence is        
reasonably available7 for teachers1     
principals1 school leaders1 and other   
school personnel in mental health       
awareness1 violence prevention1 crisis  
response1 de-escalation and anger       
management techniques1 positive         
behavioral interventions and supports1  
bullying and harassment prevention1 and 
other similar programs designed to      
reduce and prevent school violence4     
7xxii7 ,assisting local educational     
agencies in-- 7,i7 developing and       
implementing professional development   
that is evidence-based 7to the extent   
the ,state1 in consultation with local  
educational agencies in the ,state1     
determines that such evidence is        
reasonably available7 on violence       
prevention programs and emergency       
response and notification systems2 and  
7,,ii7 improving school climate4        
7xxiii7 ,developing agreements between  
local educational agencies1 law         
enforcement agencies1 and health        

agencies1 including nonprofit1 public1  
and private mental health agencies and  
institutions1 to improve coordination of
 services and to identify1 respond to1  
and prevent threats to the safety of    
students and school personnel4  4  7b7  
,local uses of funds ,section           
#bajc7;b77#c7 of the ,elementary and    
,secondary ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj
 ,u4,s4,c4 #ffac7;b77#c77 is amended--  
7#a7 in subparagraph 7,i7-- 7,a7 in     
clause 7ii71 by inserting 1 including   
mental health services1 after services2 
and  7,b7 in clause 7iii71 by striking  
and public or private mental health     
organizations and inserting 1 public or 
private mental health organizations1 and
 local law enforcement agencies1 to     
improve the coordination of services and
 to identify1 respond to1 and prevent   
threats to the safety of students and   
school personnel2  7#b7 in subparagraph 
7,o71 by striking and at the end2  7#c7 
by redesignating subparagraph 7,p7 as   
subparagraph 7,r72 and  7#d7 by         

inserting after subparagraph 7,o7 the   
following3  7,p7 reducing the ratio of  
students to counselors to improve the   
ability of schools to address the needs 
of students through the recruiting and  
hiring of school-based mental health    
services providers1 as defined in       
section #dajb7f72  7,q7 developing and  
implementing professional development   
that is evidence-based 7to the extent   
the ,state1 in consultation with local  
educational agencies in the ,state1     
determines that such evidence is        
reasonably available7 for teachers1     
specialized instructional support       
personnel1 principals1 school leaders1  
and other school personnel in violence  
prevention1 mental health awareness1    
threat de-escalation methods1 and       
positive behavioral interventions and   
supports1 and supporting bullying and   
harassment prevention programs1 and     
other similar programs designed to      
reduce and prevent school violence and  
improve the school climate for all      

students2 and  4