A. All certificated school personnel who have direct contact with students on a regular basis shall complete training on or before December 1 of each year, by a method determined by each county board, in the skills required to:

• (1) Understand and respond to youth suicide risk;
• (2) Understand and respond to student mental health, student trauma, student safety and other topics related to student social and emotional well-being; and
• (3) Identify professional resources to help students in crisis.

B. The training required by § A of this regulation shall be:

• (1) Provided to certificated school personnel during an in-service program; or
• (2) A professional development requirement that may be met during time designated for professional development.

(a)  In general. -- Except as provided in § 6-704.1 of this title and beginning on or before July 1, 2018, the State Board shall require all certificated school personnel who have direct contact with students on a regular basis to complete training on or before December 1 each year, by a method determined by each county board, in the skills required to:

• (1) Understand and respond to youth suicide risk; and
• (2) Identify professional resources to help students in crisis.

(b)  Method of training. -- The training required under subsection (a) of this section shall be:

• (1) Provided to certificated school personnel during an in-service program; or
• (2) A professional development requirement that may be met during time designated for professional development.

(c)  Regulations. -- The State Board shall adopt regulations to implement this section.

(d)  Liability. --

• (1) This section may not be construed to impose a duty of care on certificated school personnel who complete training under subsection (a) of this section.
• (2) Unless the acts or omissions of a certificated school employee who completed training under subsection (a) of this section are willful, wanton, or grossly negligent, a person may not bring an action against the county board for personal injury or wrongful death caused by any act or omission resulting from:
• (i) Any training or lack of training of certificated school personnel under subsection (a) of this section; or
• (ii) The implementation of the training required under subsection (a) of this section.

(c)  Requirements for programs established under subtitle. -- Any program established under this subtitle shall:

• (1) Assist in increasing the awareness, among school personnel and community leaders, of the incidence of teenage suicide;
• (2) Train school personnel in individual and schoolwide strategies for teenage suicide prevention;
• (3) Develop and implement school-based teenage suicide prevention programs and pilot projects;
• (4) Develop and implement school-based pilot mental health programs and peer-to-peer support to address the needs of students suffering from mental illness; and
• (5) Through cooperative efforts, utilize community resources in the development and implementation of teenage suicide prevention programs under this subtitle.