Catch Title: Suicide prevention

Sponsor: Representative(s) Harshman, Byron, Clouston, Sherwood, Winter, and Wylie and Senator(s) Anderson, Barlow, Cooper, Gierau, Landen, Rothfuss, and Schuler

Effective Date: July 1, 2026

Bill: https://www.wyoleg.gov/Legislation/2026/HB0040

Overview This bill creates W.S. 21-9-105, which mandates that every school district in Wyoming provide suicide prevention education to its students. The instruction must be delivered in an age-appropriate and evidence-based manner. To ensure a unified approach to safety, the student curriculum must be consistent with the existing suicide prevention materials provided by the State Superintendent and the training already required for school staff under the Jason Flatt Act.

Key Provisions

• Mandatory Student Education:Every school district is required to provide suicide prevention instruction directly to the student body.
• Flexible Delivery:Districts are permitted to provide this education in “any appropriate manner,” allowing for local control over how the material is integrated into the school day.
• Evidence-Based Standards:Any programs utilized must be age-appropriate and based on scientific evidence regarding effective prevention strategies.
• Statewide Consistency:Instruction must align with state-vetted materials (under W.S. 21-2-202(a)(xxxv)) and the existing training standards for teachers and administrators (under W.S. 21-3-110(a)(xxxiii)).

Implications

• Universal K-12 Reach:The mandate applies to all students across the K-12 spectrum, requiring districts to tailor materials to be developmentally appropriate for both elementary and secondary learners.
• District Curricular Autonomy:While the state provides a baseline for consistency, school districts maintain the autonomy to select specific programs and vendors that they believe best serve their local student populations.
• No Supplemental State Funding:There are no fiscal notes attached to the bill, meaning districts must absorb the costs of curriculum acquisition and instructional time within their existing budgets.
• Standardized Compliance:There are no new state-level compliance or reporting requirements created by this bill; enforcement is managed through existing Wyoming Board of Education accreditation and health/safety standards.
• Localized Scheduling:The frequency and duration of the instruction are left to the discretion of individual school districts, allowing them to determine if the education should be an annual requirement or provided at specific grade intervals.
• Peer-to-Peer Intervention:By expanding education from staff to students, the bill seeks to equip peers with “gatekeeper” skills, as students often notice warning signs in their classmates before adults do.