S.20.1-13: Youth Risk Prevention Act (YRPA) [Statute]

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Youth Risk Prevention Act (YRPA)

Section 1. Title
i. The title of this act shall be the Alternative Education and Youth Risk Prevention Act

Section 2. Services
a. Background, Necessity for legislation

i. Children living in poverty who have one or more parents incarcerated, are the victims of abuse or neglect, or are homeless often experience a range of trauma and stress. This stress damages the child's physical, social, mental, emotional, and behavioral health and well-being.

The needs of vulnerable populations must be met, as they have a diminished ability to advocate for themselves compared to their peers. This becomes a vicious cycle.

The purpose of this act is to establish a task force to create a system for evaluating the at risk youth and those who have emergent or persistent behaviors, academic challenges and are in need of support.

ii. An at risk youth shall be defined as a minor who is enrolled in a high school within the Southern region with a deceased or incarcerated parent or guardian.

iii. A support network which consists of an older peer shall be assigned at the beginning of the school year, and the at risk youth must be enrolled in counseling services with the high school guidance counselor.

Sponsor: Spark498

[PragmaticPopulist]

I approve of the bill as it is currently written.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

I approve of the bill as it is currently written.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Anyone interested in further debate?

[reagente]

Anyone interested in further debate?

While I assume there is some appropriate vetting of the "older peer" assigned to the at-risk youth - I would be more comfortable voting for this bill if we have some sort of explicit oversight measure to make sure those individuals aren't able to then take advantage of the at-risk youth. Otherwise, I have no issue with this legislation as written.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Anyone interested in further debate?

While I assume there is some appropriate vetting of the "older peer" assigned to the at-risk youth - I would be more comfortable voting for this bill if we have some sort of explicit oversight measure to make sure those individuals aren't able to then take advantage of the at-risk youth. Otherwise, I have no issue with this legislation as written.

How would you envision such a provision be written into the bill?

[reagente]

Anyone interested in further debate?

While I assume there is some appropriate vetting of the "older peer" assigned to the at-risk youth - I would be more comfortable voting for this bill if we have some sort of explicit oversight measure to make sure those individuals aren't able to then take advantage of the at-risk youth. Otherwise, I have no issue with this legislation as written.

How would you envision such a provision be written into the bill?

Not entirely sure. I suppose the simplest method would be to task the Attorney General with establishing an oversight mechanism

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Anyone interested in further debate?

While I assume there is some appropriate vetting of the "older peer" assigned to the at-risk youth - I would be more comfortable voting for this bill if we have some sort of explicit oversight measure to make sure those individuals aren't able to then take advantage of the at-risk youth. Otherwise, I have no issue with this legislation as written.

How would you envision such a provision be written into the bill?

Not entirely sure. I suppose the simplest method would be to task the Attorney General with establishing an oversight mechanism

fair enough.

[Senator-elect Spark]

As a southern citizen, I’d like to know if this is mandatory for “at risk youths” or would this be optional. What I don’t want is this being forced on people, could there be clarification?

I can support an amendment making it optional. We want to be sure that these protections are in place if necessary.

[West_Midlander]

As a southern citizen, I’d like to know if this is mandatory for “at risk youths” or would this be optional. What I don’t want is this being forced on people, could there be clarification?

I can support an amendment making it optional. We want to be sure that these protections are in place if necessary.

Notification of the parents of at-risk youth and the ability to opt-out would be best, imo.

However, the wording is up to the delegates: whether parents have to opt in like a field-trip permission slip or have to opt-out, by default, like for a sex harassment seminar (I believe the method I proposed, the second method, is how permission was handled for the sexual harassment seminar, at least, where I went to school).

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

As a southern citizen, I’d like to know if this is mandatory for “at risk youths” or would this be optional. What I don’t want is this being forced on people, could there be clarification?

I can support an amendment making it optional. We want to be sure that these protections are in place if necessary.

Notification of the parents of at-risk youth and the ability to opt-out would be best, imo.

However, the wording is up to the delegates: whether parents have to opt in like a field-trip permission slip or have to opt-out, by default, like for a sex harassment seminar (I believe the method I proposed, the second method, is how permission was handled for the sexual harassment seminar, at least, where I went to school).

I would be willing to support such a compromise, though I'm not 100% certain about all specifics.

[Senator-elect Spark]

Youth Risk Prevention Act (YRPA)

Section 1. Title
i. The title of this act shall be the Alternative Education and Youth Risk Prevention Act

Section 2. Services
a. Background, Necessity for legislation

i. Children living in poverty who have one or more parents incarcerated, are the victims of abuse or neglect, or are homeless often experience a range of trauma and stress. This stress damages the child's physical, social, mental, emotional, and behavioral health and well-being.

The needs of vulnerable populations must be met, as they have a diminished ability to advocate for themselves compared to their peers. This becomes a vicious cycle.

The purpose of this act is to establish a task force to create a system for evaluating the at risk youth and those who have emergent or persistent behaviors, academic challenges and are in need of support.

ii. An at risk youth shall be defined as a minor who is enrolled in a high school within the Southern region with a deceased or incarcerated parent or guardian.

iii. An at risk youth may choose to request a support network which consists of an older peer. The peer shall be assigned at the beginning of the school year, and the at risk youth must be enrolled in counseling services with the high school guidance counselor.

Sponsor: Spark498

Hereby propose an amendment to make it optional.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

No objection was raised to the amendment, it is hereby adopted.

[Senator-elect Spark]

No objection was raised to the amendment, it is hereby adopted.

Thank you Mr. Speaker. Motion for a vote.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Final vote. 48 hours.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Aye

[reagente]

Aye

[Senator-elect Spark]

Aye

[PragmaticPopulist]

Aye

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

4 ayes, 0 nays. This bill passes.

[West_Midlander]

4 ayes, 0 nays. This bill passes.

x West_Midlander