HB1635

Having acted as a suicide prevention coordinator for the Newmarket School District for 6 years, I can attest to the importance of the suicide prevention in schools. Each year we provided suicide prevention to staff and students, student outcomes improved significantly year over year, particularly in the areas of adolescent depression and the identification of trusted adults. Without this mandate, and with all the budget cuts schools are facing, many students will undoubtedly lose out on this life saving education.

Mental health of our youth is so important. They are the most at risk and we depend on our teachers to notice and intervene

This education is critical to preventing harm, and should continue to be done annually. The lives lost are too high to do less.

I oppose any and all changes to this legislation. This work saves lives!! Thank you for your consideration.

Suicide is the second leading cause of death in New Hampshire for youth ages 10 to 24. Too many young lives are being lost, and suicide is preventable. Early identification, education, and intervention are proven tools to save lives. Students spend much of their time in school, placing educators and staff in a unique position to notice warning signs and take action. Clear, consistent training provides the guidance and confidence needed to act quickly and appropriately. Weakening the bill jeopardizes the safety of our youth.

HB 1635 adds another statewide mandate on schools without addressing capacity, local control, or the effectiveness of one-size-fits-all training requirements. Schools already provide suicide prevention supports and should retain flexibility to implement approaches that best fit their communities. Mandates without resources or evidence-based improvements burden schools without improving outcomes. HB 1635 should be opposed.

I oppose this bill because teachers and school staff are some of the adult that students see almost every day throughout over half the year. When I was in middle school (8th grade) I had a friend who revealed to me she was severely depressed and suicidal. I was able to save her life only because of the help of my social studies teacher and the school’s guidance counselors. This girl is now my best friend and no longer has lost her purpose in this world, thanks to the staff of my middle school. This being said, if my social studies teacher had no knowledge of suicide prevention and didn’t know what steps to take, my friend wouldn’t have gotten the help she needed and most likely wouldn’t be here today. With suicide being the second leading cause of death in New Hampshire for youth ages 10-24, I know my story is not unique. This bill could end numerous lives in our future generations and rise the rates of suicide in youth to an unspeakable number, which is why I strongly disagree in it’s addition.

We need to show our community we care about our youth and take mental health seriously.

Taking away this useful suicide prevention, trainings in schools would be absolutely detrimental. The policy should remain as is, as the youth and public needs as much education on this matter as possible

Suicide is the second leading cause of death in New Hampshire for youth ages 10 to 24. Too many young lives are being lost, and suicide is preventable. Early identification, education, and intervention are proven tools to save lives. Students spend much of their time in school, placing educators and staff in a unique position to notice warning signs and take action. Clear, consistent training provides the guidance and confidence needed to act quickly and appropriately. Weakening the bill jeopardizes the safety of our youth.

OPPOSE!! Strongly! Protect our children!!!!!!!

NH RSA 193-J:2, as currently written, ensures that school personnel are trained to recognize warning signs and respond effectively, creating safer environments for students. Any changes to this bill would weaken these protections and put young people at greater risk. Suicide is the second leading cause of death in New Hampshire for youth ages 10 to 24. Too many young lives are being lost, and suicide is preventable. Early identification, education, and intervention are proven tools to save lives. Students spend much of their time in school, placing educators and staff in a unique position to notice warning signs and take action. Clear, consistent training provides the guidance and confidence needed to act quickly and appropriately. Weakening the bill jeopardizes the safety of our youth.

Please oppose this bill. Teachers need to recognize early warning signs.

As a licensed clinician working in a school, it is imperative that all staff remain trained to know how to manage if a student is at risk of suicide. This bill allows people to know warning signs and act accordingly. At my school, this happened just last week with a 6th grade student. If that staff member hadn’t had proper training, she may not have known how to appropriately and effectively manage the situation. With suicide being the 2nd leading cause of death amongst youth 10-24, it is imperative to take an “all hands on deck” approach to protecting our youth, and this bill helps with that.

Thank you for your time and for your commitment to protecting New Hampshire’s youth.

As a teacher in the Nashua School District, a mother of 4 children, and a survivor of Suicide Loss, I have been personally impacted by this topic. Our children are vulnerable and MUST be protected. Knowing the warning signs of suicide ideation and being aware of the resources available for our students is a critical part of suicide prevention. If suicide is the number one cause of death in our youth, who may be suffering from depression, trauma, or mental illness MUST be made a priority. I am opposed to this bill.

I am writing in opposition to this bill. I watched firsthand as my son struggled with the loss of two friends to suicide within one year of each other. This education is a way to ensure that students have the tools to not only recognize when a friend might be struggling, but also to know what to do, who to go to. Suicide is the leading cause of death among 16 to 24-year-olds. On the other hand, rates of suicide have gone down in this population, no doubt due in part to education programs like this one. There is no reason that this bill should pass. There is nothing good to be gained from it. I request that you please seriously consider the impact watering down this education could have.

Suicide is the second leading cause of death in New Hampshire for youth ages 10 to 24. Too many young lives are being lost, and suicide is preventable. Early identification, education, and intervention are proven tools to save lives. NH RSA 193-J:2, II as currently enacted, ensures that school personnel are trained to recognize warning signs and respond effectively, creating safer environments for students. HB 1635, however, would unnecessarily reduce the frequency and scope of suicide prevention training for school personnel, undermining the state’s previous efforts to ensure that school personnel are adequately trained to recognize warning signs and respond effectively. The proposed rollback by HB 1635 would weaken protections and put young people at greater risk. Students spend much of their time in school, placing educators and staff in a unique position to notice warning signs and take action. Clear, consistent training provides the guidance and confidence needed to act quickly and appropriately. Passing HB 1635 would jeopardize the safety of our youth. I strongly urge the committee to vote NO on HB 1635 and preserve New Hampshire’s current annual suicide prevention training requirements for educators. Our children deserve strong, consistent, and proven suicide prevention measures in every school. Thank you for your time and for your commitment to protecting New Hampshire’s youth. DONNA MARSH CONNORS CLIMB BOARD MEMBER

Written Testimony in Opposition to HB 1635 (2026) House Education Policy and Administration Committee Date: January 21, 2026 Dear Chair and Members of the Committee, I am writing to respectfully urge you to oppose HB 1635, which proposes changes to RSA 193-J:2, New Hampshire’s school-based suicide prevention training requirements. I submit this testimony from the perspective of a licensed mental health clinician and educator with over twenty years of experience working with children, adolescents, and families. I am the Co-Founder of Aloft Integrated Wellness, a New Hampshire–based outpatient mental health practice; the Co-founder and Chief Clinical Officer of Helios Behavioral Health, a nonprofit focused on expanding access to evidence-based behavioral health care in medical and community settings; and I have previously served as an Adjunct Professor at the University of New Hampshire for more than ten years, teaching and training future mental health professionals. My comments reflect both direct clinical experience and long-standing involvement in workforce training and youth mental health education. As currently written, RSA 193-J:2 provides clear, consistent, and evidence-informed expectations for suicide prevention training among school personnel. These requirements ensure that adults working with children are adequately prepared to recognize warning signs, respond appropriately, and connect students to help. HB 1635 would weaken these protections by removing mandatory training hours and allowing schools to rely on self-training materials at their discretion. This change is deeply concerning given the realities facing New Hampshire’s youth. Suicide is the second leading cause of death for young people ages 10 to 24 in our state. Suicide is preventable. Decades of research and clinical practice show that early identification, education, and timely intervention save lives. Because students spend much of their time in school, educators and school staff are often the first to notice concerning changes in behavior, mood, or functioning. Effective suicide prevention training is not simply about access to information—it requires structured, standardized, and interactive learning that builds competence and confidence. Removing minimum training requirements and permitting self-directed training risks creating significant variability in quality, depth, and accountability across districts. This inconsistency undermines the intent of RSA 193-J and places vulnerable students at greater risk. While flexibility for schools is important, it should not come at the expense of student safety or proven prevention strategies. Strong statewide standards promote equity, support school personnel, and help ensure that all New Hampshire students—regardless of district—benefit from meaningful suicide prevention efforts. For these reasons, I respectfully ask you to reject HB 1635 and preserve the strength and integrity of RSA 193-J:2. Our children deserve strong, consistent, and evidence-based suicide prevention measures in every school. Thank you for your time and consideration. Respectfully submitted, Jessica Lyons, LMFT Co-Founder, Aloft Integrated Wellness Co-Founder & Chief Clinical Officer, Helios Behavioral Health Adjunct Professor, University of New Hampshire 2011-2022

This it’s important and can save lives. The policy as it stands now should remain.

With the current state of mental health in this country and our community the watering down of education and resources to this issue would be a tragedy.

Dear Members of the House Education Policy and Administration Committee, I respectfully oppose HB 1635, which would weaken New Hampshire’s existing suicide prevention education requirements for school employees. I speak as a public citizen of New Hampshire, a licensed high school counselor, and the professional responsible for all safety assessments and the annual “Signs of Suicide” (SOS) training for every student in my high school. My opposition is based on the following evidence- and practice-based concerns: 1. More Frequent and Structured Suicide Prevention Training Saves Lives Research and national standards emphasize the importance of regular, comprehensive training for school staff to recognize, respond to, and refer youth at risk of suicide or self-harm. Consistent training increases adult confidence in identifying warning signs and acting appropriately — which research shows improves referral and safety outcomes. Under existing policy, staff receive training regularly (currently with specified annual minimum hours). HB 1635 would eliminate the annual training requirement and instead spread training over an extended two-year cycle with no minimum hours. This dilutes the frequency and fidelity of suicide prevention education. With suicide now one of the leading causes of death among teens nationally, and youth in New Hampshire experiencing rates of self-harm ideation and attempts higher than many students nationwide, more—not less—educational preparation for staff is crucial. 2. Early Recognition and Response Is Essential In my role: I conduct safety risk assessments when students show signs of emotional distress, suicidal thoughts, or behavior changes. I lead evidence-based SOS training that teaches students to recognize and act upon warning signs in themselves and peers. I work directly with teachers and staff when students exhibit concerning behavior. Effective suicide prevention requires trained adults in every corner of the school environment, not just sporadic or minimal training every two years. With annual and consistent training, staff better retain knowledge and are more prepared to intervene during critical moments. HB 1635’s biennial requirement is insufficient for staff members who shoulder the responsibility of first identifying warning signs and referring students for support. 3. Delay in Training Increases Risk HB 1635 delays essential training to within 30 days of hire and then every two years. This is particularly problematic because: New staff (“within 30 days”) may already be working unsupervised before training, potentially encountering students in crisis without preparation. Suicide risk factors and patterns among youth can evolve rapidly; infrequent training interferes with maintaining current best practices. Annual training ensures up-to-date knowledge, reinforces skills, and aligns staff understanding across the school year. 4. Permitting Self-Training Materials Weakens Standards The bill allows districts to use self-training materials and gives broad discretion on how training is delivered and verified. Without uniform minimum training hours and quality standards: Training can be inconsistent across districts Key topics such as lethality assessment, safety planning, and post-intervention support may be omitted Staff may be unprepared to appropriately and safely respond to real-world risk situations It is not enough to offer training; it must be rigorous, interactive, and consistent with empirical best practices. 5. You Cannot Train Teachers Too Often on Suicide Prevention Schools face real safety challenges every year: Youth experience stressors that can precipitate crises Emotional well-being is deeply connected to academic success and personal safety Staff interact with students daily — often before counselors or mental health professionals By weakening training requirements, HB 1635 moves away from what evidence and suicide prevention experts recommend. Annual training helps adults refresh skills and remain attentive to evolving risk indicators in their students. For these reasons — grounded in both professional practice and student safety outcomes — I urge you to oppose HB 1635 as currently written. Instead, I recommend: ? Maintaining annual minimum training requirements ? Establishing measurable standards of training content ? Ensuring training includes best-practice models (e.g., SOS, QPR, SafeTALK) with evaluation components ? Requiring documentation of training completion and fidelity Ensuring New Hampshire’s school staff are well trained, frequently refreshed, and rigorously prepared is not only best practice — it is essential for protecting the lives and well-being of our students. Respectfully, John G. Webb, M. Ed ; CAGS in Educational Leadership School Assistance Professional Counselor for SAU 19 26 Walker Bungalow Road Portsmouth, NH 03801

Once again the legislature is doing everything it can to dismantle protections for children. Suicide is the second leading cause of death of youth in NH. That is unacceptable. Children spend most of their day in school and teachers and staff are uniquely positioned to notice problems and intervene before it is too late. This training is absolutely essential and decreasing the requirements waters down an already great law that is geared towards protecting our children. Legislative body, you have to do better and this bill is the opposite of that.

Suicide is the second leading cause of death in New Hampshire for youth ages 10 to 24. Removing education and resources would be a major disservice to our youth, their families and our communities.

I oppose any and all changes to this bill. This bill has made a meaningful difference in the lives of our youth. It should continue in place as written.