Latest news with #HB2960
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Senate passes bills limiting cell phones in schools, plowing roads in Mon and Preston
Apr. 9—MORGANTOWN — The state Senate on Wednesday passed bills launching a pilot project to plow secondary roads in Monongalia and Preston counties, and to limit student cell phone use in public schools. HB 2960 is the plowing bill. It says, "Snow removal on the secondary roads in Monongalia County and Preston County has not been dependable, providing a hardship on the citizens of West Virginia." It establishes a two-year pilot project to put out a Request for Proposal for vendors to provide snow removal for District 4's secondary roads in Monongalia and Preston counties. The Division of Highways will identify the roads to be plowed. The DOH can terminate a contract, with 30 days' notice, for substandard or unsatisfactory work. It passed 34-0 and returns to the House for amendment concurrence. HB 2003 is the cell phone bill. It opens with a statement: "Personal electronic devices contribute to a negative classroom environment with increased concerns relating to distractions, academic misconduct, bullying and /or harassment and other inappropriate behaviors. Concerns regarding the mental health of students with unfettered access to personal electronic devices are well-documented and are believed to prohibit the age-appropriate development of relationships, study skills, and other necessary skills to be successful." It requires county school boards to establish policies for permitting, or not permitting, personal electronic devices on school property. If permitted, the board will set parameters for use and for storage during instructional hours. It includes exceptions for medical issues and for students with Individualized Education Programs. It also requires school boards to establish consequences for violations, including confiscation and ongoing prohibition from possession on campus. Education chair Amy Grady, R-Mason, said she was originally ambivalent about the bill, but then read a book called "The Anxious Generation " and spoke with its author and researcher. Cell phones on campus, she said, has exacerbated the problem of cyberbullying, essentially allowing it to occur all day long. The bill will give kids a gives a break from cyberbullying during school hours, along with negative impacts of social media. Before learning about that, she said, "I felt it was micromanaging." That it was the teacher's and principal's job to manage cell phone possession and use. But states with bans and limitations have seen improvements in academics and overall. The vote was 33-1, with Sen. Mike Oliverio, R-Monongalia, the sole vote against. It returns to the House for amendment concurrence. Squatter bill The Senate also passed the Stop Squatters Act, HB 2434. It says a squatter is a person occupying a dwelling or other structure who is not so entitled under a rental agreement or is not authorized to do so by the tenant or owner. It allows a property owner or their authorized agent request law enforcement to undertake the immediate removal of the squatter, under specified conditions. Upon receipt of a complaint, law-enforcement will conduct preliminary fact-finding, which may include reviewing any alleged lease agreement, talking to neighbors, and other relevant inquiries to ascertain the validity of the complaint. The law-enforcement agency is entitled to a fee for service. The bill establishes the crime of criminal mischief for causing damages, with misdemeanor and felony penalties depending on the value of the damages. It also sets criminal penalties for selling real property without authorization and for advertising property for sale or rent without authorization. The vote was 31-0 and it returns to the House for amendment concurrence.
CBS News
02-04-2025
- Health
- CBS News
2 Illinois teens' push for expanded mental health education in schools spurs new bill in General Assembly
Two teenagers are spearheading an initiative to expand mental health education in Illinois schools. Abhinav Anne and Sai Ganbote, both juniors at Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, took their pitch to Illinois State lawmakers, and now House Bill 2960 is making its way through the Illinois General Assembly. The bill aims to amend the school code so that comprehensive mental health instruction is part of health class. "We were inspired by our classmates, our friends, our very family that suffer from mental health illnesses, and we realized that we needed to do something right now," Ganbote said. "There's been an epidemic of mental illnesses spread, especially after COVID-19, and we wanted to bring resources right to our future, our students through the school system." The idea for the bill garnered support from several lawmakers and was filed by co-sponsor Rep. Laura Faver Dias in February. Dias helped write the legislation and get it on the House floor. Currently, it would amend the school code so that all public schools with health education would be required to include comprehensive mental health. The bill would also guarantee that students would be protected from having to share any information about their mental health. Ganbote says her own experience of attending a challenging school inspired this initiative. "Going to a math and science academy, we struggle a lot with anxiety and academic pressure, along with this stigma of being perfect to apply for colleges. It's become an everyday thing to strive to be perfect, and we kind of lose ourselves and our own mental health," Ganbote said. Anne and Ganbote say they would like mental health lessons to include stress-coping mechanisms and education on anxiety disorders. "I think that at the basis of all of our initiatives was creating an equitable approach that focuses on a lot of different groups, especially LGBTQ, Asian Americans, and individuals across the spectrum," said Anne. HB 2960 is currently being debated in the Illinois House of Representatives. Dias says she hopes to have it in the Senate by the end of April. Ganbote and Anne are encouraging people to submit witness slips to express their stance on HB 2960.
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Proposed bill would make mental health education mandatory in Illinois secondary schools
CHICAGO (WGN) — There's a mental health crisis for teens and young adults across the United States. Two suburban high schoolers are looking to the state to address the epidemic. More Coverage: WGN's Medical Watch Abhinav Anne and Sai Ganbote are 17-year-old Illinois Math and Science Academy juniors. They helped draft HB2960, which would make mental health education mandatory in Illinois middle and high schools. Both joined WGN's Evening News at 4 p.m. on Thursday, March 20, and say they have lived the crisis firsthand. 'I think something that we're seeing on a day-by-day basis throughout middle and high schools is that education is unable to address this issue,' Anne said. 'Bullying, anxiety, how to combat depression…we teach students how to recite tables and memorize every state and country on a map, but we're not really teaching students these fundamental issues…we're seeing this gap in knowledge.' Ganbote spoke about the implementation options in schools should the bill pass the legislative process. 'First, a mandatory unit in [student's] health classrooms or P.E. classrooms…and cross-curricular integration,' she said. Illinois State Representatives Faver Dias and Lindsey LaPointe are primarily sponsoring the bill. Illinois State Reps Costa Howard and Gregg Johnson have also joined in co-sponsorship. A vote on the bill was expected to take place on Thursday, with a strong indication that it would most likely pass. Watch the entire interview in the video player above. Sign up for our Medical Watch newsletter. This daily update includes important information from WGN's Dina Bair and the Med Watch team, including, the latest updates from health organizations, in-depth reporting on advancements in medical technology and treatments, as well as personal features related to people in the medical field. Sign up here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
