House Bill 105 would develop statewide K–12 mental health guidelines; sponsors emphasize opt‑in approach, parental notification

Rep. Elise Galvin, R‑Anchorage, introduced House Bill 105 to the House Finance Committee on April 23, asking the State Board of Education and Early Development to develop voluntary, developmentally appropriate K–12 mental health instruction guidelines in consultation with the Department of Health, Department of Family and Community Services, regional tribal health organizations and national and state mental health experts.

“Together in a collaborative effort, they will put together a mental health instruction that's developed with input from a broad range of professionals leading to a well rounded age appropriate effective curriculum,” Galvin said in opening remarks. The bill frames mental health instruction to be treated on par with physical health in the K–12 curriculum and requires the board to submit a report to the Legislature within two years after enactment.

Nut graf: HB105 encourages school districts — rather than mandating statewide adoption — to adopt guidelines developed by the board, requires at least two weeks’ notice to parents before introducing mental health instruction, and includes an opt‑out for parents. The bill establishes a two‑year transition period for guideline development and reporting to the Legislature.

What the bill would do: David Jang, staff to Rep. Galvin, summarized the sectional changes: add legislative intent; require board consultation with the listed agencies and organizations; add mental health to the K–12 health education topics; require parent notification no less than two weeks before a program that may provide mental health instruction; and require the board to produce and deliver a copy of guidelines and a process description to the Legislature within two years.

Fiscal and agency input: Kelly Manning of the Department of Education and Early Development reviewed a fiscal note (OMB component 2796) that budgets $120,000 for two in‑person convenings to assemble the working group, $30,000 for a facilitator, $6,000 for legal fees and $60,000 in stipends (2,000 per participant for 30 members). Manning said the funding would cover two in‑person convenings and stipends for committee members.

Agency witnesses and invited testimony: James Biela of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (Alaska chapter) testified in support, urging the committee to “integrate age‑appropriate, culturally competent mental health education into our school curriculum in Alaska.” Student Ruth Billy from Kuspuk Learning Academy in Bethel also testified in support: “Mental health is something that affects all of us…Please support House Bill 105. Students need this.” Anne Ringstead, executive director of NAMI Alaska, said the proposal had been vetted over five years and emphasized that early identification and treatment reduces long‑term harms.

Agency assessments: The Alaska Psychiatric Institute (API) provided a $0 fiscal note for assistance, saying consultative work could be provided within regular duties. The Division of Behavioral Health said the bill would be low impact and likewise provided a $0 fiscal note for consultation (control number GPZUR).

Committee questions and concerns: Members asked whether the board’s proposed work would duplicate or complement existing statutes (for example, the statute requiring suicide awareness and prevention training) and whether the required two‑week parent notification could create unintended consequences for districts that already provide mental‑health related content. Rep. Galvin said the bill was designed to be flexible and collaborative: “The bill views parents, school districts, and students as essential partners.”

The sponsor and DEED staff said the existing school health education specialist at DEED would have responsibility for the work beyond contractor/facilitator support; DEED confirmed the specialist position is housed in the department and the fiscal note anticipated stipends and travel for an expanded committee that would include tribal and regional representatives.

Ending: Committee members asked for follow‑up on implementation details and potential overlaps with existing statutes; the chair set no final action at the April 23 hearing and placed the bill aside for future consideration. Testimony and fiscal notes will inform any amendments and next steps.