Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Students, survivors and advocates press Health Care committee to back school mental‑health bills and voluntary firearm storage
Summary
Students, school counselors and suicide‑loss survivors urged the House Committee on Health Care to support three bills—H.817 and H.818 on school mental‑health supports and screening, and H.20 creating a voluntary firearms storage program—during a Feb. 11 hearing in Montpelier. Witnesses described local losses, school programs and the need for funding and training.
Kelsey Stavseth, executive director of Northeast Kingdom Human Services and co‑president of Vermont Care Partners, and representatives from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention told the House Committee on Health Care on Feb. 11 that schools are a critical access point for suicide prevention and urged support for legislation aimed at expanding training and screening.
"We save lives and bring hope to those affected by suicide," said Sally Hespe, area director for AFSP Vermont, listing three bills the chapter is asking lawmakers to champion: House Bill 817 (mental‑health and substance‑use prevention in schools), House Bill 818 (school mental‑health screening) and House Bill 20 (a voluntary firearms storage program).
Why it matters: Witnesses described schools as hubs for safety and early intervention in rural communities with limited…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
