Int. No. 989

By Council Member Lee

A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to student wellness club toolkits

Be it enacted by the Council as follows:

Section 1. Chapter 1 of title 17 of the administrative code of the city of New York is amended by adding a new section 17-199.25 to read as follows:

§ 17-199.25 Student wellness club toolkit. a. Definitions. For purposes of this section, the following terms have the following meanings:

Middle and high school. The term "middle and high school" means any school of the city school district that contains any combination of grades from grade 6 through grade 12.

Student. The term "student" means any pupil under the age of 21 as of September 1 of the relevant academic year who does not have a high school diploma and who is enrolled in grade 6 or higher.

Student wellness club. The term “student wellness club” means an extracurricular student-led group that holds meetings for students to focus on student wellbeing and the factors influencing student wellbeing, including mental health.

Student wellness club toolkit. The term “student wellness club toolkit” means materials, in both electronic and paper form, designed to guide students on creating and maintaining a student wellness club.

b. No later than 120 days after the effective date of the local law that added this section, the commissioner, or another agency head designated by the mayor and who has appropriate subject matter expertise, in consultation with relevant experts, shall create a student wellness club toolkit.

c. The student wellness club toolkit required by this section shall include guidance in relation to:

1. How to seek approval from the school administration for establishing a student wellness club;

2. How to choose an appropriate faculty advisor for such club;

3. How to select a mental health professional to advise such club;

4. How to encourage student attendance in such club; and

5. Suggestions for club activities.

d. The department shall make paper copies of such toolkits available to the department of education at the beginning of each academic year.

e. The department shall make such toolkits available on the department's website in English and in each of the designated citywide languages as defined in section 23-1101.

f. Middle and high schools shall make available a faculty member and a mental health professional on the school faculty to serve as advisors to student wellness clubs formed in such schools. Subject to appropriation, a non-faculty qualified mental health professional may also be made available to advise student wellness clubs.

§ 2. Chapter 8 of title 21-a of the administrative code of the city of New York is amended by adding a new section 21-969.1 to read as follows:

§ 21-969.1 Distribution of student wellness club toolkits and reporting on student wellness clubs. a. Definitions. For purposes of this section, the following terms have the following meanings:

Middle and high school. The term "middle and high school" means any school of the city school district that contains any combination of grades from grade 6 through grade 12.

Student. The term "student" means any pupil under the age of 21 as of September 1 of the relevant academic year who does not have a high school diploma and who is enrolled in grade 6 or higher.

b. Distribution of student wellness club toolkits. Each academic year, the department shall make available the student wellness club toolkit developed by the department of health and mental hygiene pursuant to section 17-199.25 to each student at each middle and high school. The department shall make available such educational materials in English and in each of the designated citywide languages as defined in section 23-1101 in each middle and high school, on the department's website, and on any online student portal. Each middle and high school shall publicize the availability of such toolkit to its students.

c. Reporting requirement. 1. By June 30 of each year, the chancellor shall submit to the speaker of the council and shall post conspicuously on the department’s website a report regarding the distribution of student wellness club toolkits and the formation of student wellness clubs for students at each middle and high school.

2. The report shall include but need not be limited to the following information and any additional information the chancellor deems appropriate:

(a) A list of all middle and high schools, if any, where such student wellness club toolkit was not distributed, and the reason such toolkit was not distributed; and

(b) A table in which each row references each individual student wellness club and that includes the following information set forth in separate columns:

(1) The school where such club operates;

(2) The year such club was founded;

(3) The faculty advisor and mental health professional advisor of such club, if applicable;

(4) The frequency of meetings of such club, if applicable; and

(5) The number of student members and the average number of attendees at meetings.

3. No information that is otherwise required to be reported pursuant to this section shall be reported in a manner that would violate any applicable provision of federal, state, or local law relating to the privacy of student information or that would interfere with law enforcement investigations or otherwise conflict with the interests of law enforcement. If a category contains between 1 and 5 students, or contains an amount that would allow another category that contains between 1 and 5 students to be deduced, the number shall be replaced with a symbol. A category that contains zero shall be reported as zero, unless such reporting would violate any applicable provision of federal, state, or local law relating to the privacy of student information.

§ 3. This local law takes effect immediately. 

EH

LS #14108/14110/16020

6/17/2024 11:15 AM