House committee hears bill to create statewide mental-health education guidelines; no mandate, parents to be notified

Rep. Elise Galvin, sponsor of House Bill 105, told the House Education Committee on March 14 in Juneau that the bill would direct the State Board of Education and Early Development to develop age-appropriate guidelines for mental-health instruction and place mental health on the same statutory footing as physical health in Alaska’s K–12 curriculum.

Galvin said the bill “is not a mandate, first of all,” and emphasized that it aims to give “the tools to all 53 districts” so local school systems can adopt instruction that fits their communities.

The bill requires the board to consult with the Department of Health, the Department of Family and Community Services, regional tribal health organizations and national and state mental-health organizations when developing guidelines. It also would require school districts to provide parents or guardians at least two weeks’ written notice before any class or program includes mental-health instruction and would allow parents to withdraw children from specific activities they find objectionable. Two years after the law’s effective date the board must submit to the legislature a copy of the guidelines and a description of the process used to develop them.

David Jang, staff to Rep. Galvin, walked the committee through the bill’s sections, telling members the uncodified portion establishes legislative intent and that Section 2 adds a parental-rights subsection providing notification requirements. He said the board would have two years after enactment to develop the guidelines and produce the required report.

Several invited testifiers described why they support the measure and how schools might use new guidance. Jason Mossard, a mental-health advocate and former governing-body member at the Alaska Psychiatric Institute, said, “Mental health is health,” and argued early education and destigmatizing conversations in school can help students and families identify problems earlier. James Bila, an itinerant school social worker and advocate with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, said HB 105 would “allow communities the choice and opportunity to offer a more complete health curriculum,” and cited high youth suicide and emergency-department visits for mental-health crises in Alaska. Anne Ringstad, executive director of NAMI Alaska, said the bill “will reduce stigma surrounding mental illness, equip students with essential knowledge about their own mental health, and encourage open conversations about well-being.”

Committee members questioned specifics about curriculum content, privacy, and implementation. Rep. Brett Elam asked whether instruction would span elementary through high school and how any information would be retained or shared; Galvin and staff repeatedly emphasized the bill does not authorize diagnosis or create a student record of a clinical finding and reiterated that parental notice and opt-out are required. Members also discussed who would deliver instruction; Galvin and witnesses said districts would decide whether classroom teachers, counselors, community partners or outside instructors implement guidance and that professional development would likely be part of local rollout.

Members asked for evidence that mental-health education affects outcomes. Galvin and staff pointed committee members to attachments posted for the meeting, including a 2023 Alaska scorecard from the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority and studies cited by witnesses. Witnesses cited national and state statistics during testimony: the 2023 Alaska scorecard has shown Alaska’s suicide rate has been nearly twice the national average, youth aged 15–24 have a suicide death rate stated as “3 to 4 times higher than the national average,” and national CDC youth-risk data cited in testimony reported 39.7 percent of high-school students saying they had persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness and 9.5 percent reporting a suicide attempt in 2023. (These figures were presented by witnesses and staff during testimony; the committee did not enact the bill or adopt independent findings at the hearing.)

Committee procedure: Chair Andy Story announced the bill’s presentation and testimony, and at the conclusion of questions the committee “held House Bill 105 over and will take it up again on Monday, March 17,” to receive additional committee and public testimony. No formal committee vote on passage or referral occurred during the March 14 hearing.

Why it matters: Supporters framed HB 105 as a prevention measure tied to Alaska’s elevated youth suicide statistics and to gaps in early identification and treatment of mental-health conditions. The measure would create a statewide, nonbinding set of guidelines intended to help districts adopt evidence-based, age-appropriate instruction while preserving local control and parents’ rights.

What’s next: The committee will take public testimony on HB 105 at its next scheduled meeting, and staff said they would follow up with members on requested materials about other states’ curricula and evidence of outcomes. The board’s timeline under the bill would require the State Board of Education to complete guidelines and submit the legislatively required report within two years of enactment.