Committee approves guidelines to equip coaches and staff on student mental-health awareness
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Summary
House Bill 1706 was amended to require state agencies to post guidelines and resources for coaches, parents and students on mental-health awareness rather than require the State Board of Education to change standards; supporters emphasized coaches' role and called for more training, while opponents raised local-control and teacher-burden concerns.
The House Education Committee adopted amendment A02396 to House Bill 1706, shifting the bill from a requirement that the State Board of Education revise health and physical-education standards to a directive that the Pennsylvania Department of Education, the Department of Health and the Department of Human Services develop and post guidelines to educate students, parents and coaches about mental health.
Chair Daley, sponsor of the bill, told the committee the change reflects stakeholder negotiation and focuses on making resources and training available to coaches and mentors who often are trusted by student athletes. She cited a study she said surveyed more than 10,000 coaches and found only 18% felt highly confident in linking athletes to mental-health resources, with 67% wanting more training.
Opponents said they worried about adding yet another responsibility to teachers and coaches and preferred local control. Representative Anderson and others argued coaches and teachers already carry heavy workloads and cautioned against mandated duties. Some members said they wanted to see the State Board's pending standard revisions before moving this bill.
The amendment passed on a roll call (ayes 14, nays 12) and the amended bill passed the committee later in the meeting. Supporters said the amendment was intended to be a practical, stakeholder-informed approach to increase training and resources without imposing new classroom mandates.
