West Virginia Code § 18-2-40a

Education on and prevention of self-harm behavior and eating disorders
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(a) This section shall be known and cited as "Meghan's Law".
(b) Training of public school employees and volunteers – The state board shall promulgate,
by September 1, 2022, a legislative rule pursuant to §29A-3B-1 et seq. of this code, and if
necessary may promulgate an emergency rule in accordance with said article, to establish
training requirements for all county board employees who might come into contact with a
student, including full-time, part-time, and contract employees, as well as any volunteers of a
school or school district that might come into contact with a student as such employees and
volunteers may be further defined in the rule. The training shall ube focused on developing
skills, knowledge, and capabilities related to preventing, recognizing, and responding to
students' self-harm behaviors and eating disorders. The rulet shall provide for at least the
following:
(1) The required training shall include instruction and information to better equip schools
and their employees, including how to: l
(A) Recognize warning signs of self-harm behaviors and eating disorders that can lead to
serious health issues and death; i
(B) Support the healthy development of students by learning how to appropriately respond
to or refer a student who exhibits warning signs of self-harm or eating disorders; and
(C) Provide consistent and standard protocols for responding to disclosures or discovery of
self-harm or an eating disorder;
(2) The rule shall con tain provisions to ensure that public school employees complete the
required trainVing every three years; and
(3) The rule may provide for this training to be administered virtually or through self-review
of materials and resources provided by the state board.
(c) Education of middle school and high school students — Beginning September 1, 2022,
children in grades 5-12 shall receive information regarding self-harm and eating disorder
signs, prevention, and treatment.
(1) This education shall occur at least once per academic school year.
(2) The information may be obtained from the Bureau for Behavioral Health and Health
Facilities, a licensed healthcare provider, or from commercially developed awareness and
prevention training programs for the awareness, treatment resources, and prevention of self-
harm behavior and eating disorders approved by the state board in consultation with the
bureau to assure the accuracy and appropriateness of the information.
(3) To facilitate this process and develop resources, the state board may promulgate a
legislative rule pursuant to §29A-3B-1 et seq. of this code.

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