Legislative sessions are opening in the 50 states, the District of Columbia and the territories—most in January—and will be addressing a myriad of issues from budgets, job growth, health care, immigration, the opioid epidemic, police-community relations, education and others (featured in the State Legislatures Magazine).
Many of these proposals will impact how well communities will prosper and thrive, fewer will impact childhood adversity directly, and an even smaller number will specifically mention ACEs and encourage trauma-informed policies in one or more sectors such as education, criminal justice, or healthcare.
We invite you to scan the following list of laws and approved resolutions and let us know what is missing. While this list includes only bills that were approved by the legislature and signed by a governor (exception being resolutions that don’t require the governor’s signature), please let us know of any bills under consideration now and help us track them by posting comments to this blog post.
State ACEs Resolutions and Laws
Resolutions
WISCONSIN
Wisconsin Senate Joint Resolution 59
Report enrolled 1/17/2014
“Resolved by the senate, the assembly concurring, That policy decisions enacted by the Wisconsin state legislature will acknowledge and take into account the principles of early childhood brain development and will, whenever possible, consider the concepts of toxic stress, early adversity, and buffering relationships, and note the role of early intervention and investment in early childhood years as important strategies to achieve a lasting foundation for a more prosperous and sustainable state through investing in human capital.”
CALIFORNIA
CA ACR No. 155
Approved August 18, 2014
“This measure would urge the Governor to identify evidence-based solutions to reduce children’s exposure to adverse childhood experiences, address the impacts of those experiences, and invest in preventive health care and mental health and wellness interventions.”
http://acestoohigh.com/2014/08...eduction-resolution/
Laws
MASSACHUSETTS
Massachusetts Safe and Supportive Schools No. 4376
Signed by the Governor August 13, 2014
These provisions establish a statewide “safe and supportive schools framework” to assist schools to create safe and supportive learning environments “that improve educational outcomes for students.”
http://acestoohigh.com/2014/08...med-school-movement/
Update on implementation of the law: https://www.pacesconnection.com/...chools-framework-law
OREGON
H.B. 4002 (Chapter 68)
The law requires two state education agencies to develop a statewide plan to address the problem and provides funding for “trauma-informed” approaches in schools.
https://acestoohigh.com/2016/0...ation-bill-into-law/
WASHINGTON STATE
Washington State HB 1965
Enacted June 15, 2011
Click here to view legislative history.
The law established a statutory definition of adverse childhood experiences that is consistent with the ACE Study and codified the state’s commitment to addressing ACEs in state policy. It also sunsetted two organizations devoted to children and families—Washington State Family Policy Council and the Council for Children and Families—and provided a framework for a private-public initiative to address ACEs.
TEXAS
Texas S.B. 1356, Effective Sept. 1, 2013
Requires the juvenile justice department to provide trauma-informed care training for probation officers, juvenile supervision officers, and court-supervised community-based program personnel. The training “must provide knowledge, in line with best practices, of how to interact with juveniles who have experienced traumatic events.”
VERMONT
Chronology of ACEs-related legislation in Vermont 2014-15
In 2014, the Vermont legislature passed a bill to require the Blueprint for Health (a state-led health care program that includes practices providing healthcare to the majority of Vermonters) to do a study to address “whether, how, and to what extent” ACE-informed medical practice should be incorporated into Blueprint practices and community health teams. This study was based on legislation introduced by Dr. George Till (H. 762) that also included a provision to require Blueprint practices in the state to use the ACE questionnaire as a tool to assess health care. Only the study authorization was included in the final legislation (S. 596, Act 144, signed by Governor on May 27, 2014). The text of that law follows:
“On or before January 15, 2015, the Director of the Blueprint for Health and the Chair of the Green Mountain Care Board or their designees shall review evidence-based materials on the relationship between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and population health and recommend to the General Assembly whether, how, and at what expense ACE-informed medical practice should be integrated into Blueprint practices and community health teams. The Director and the Chair or their designees shall also develop a methodology by which the Blueprint will evaluate emerging health care delivery quality initiatives to determine whether, how, and to what extent they should be integrated into the Blueprint for Health.”
As the result of that legislation, a report, “Integrating ACE-Informed Practice into the Blueprint for Health,” (http://blueprintforhealth.verm...rt-Final-1-14-15.pdf) was issued in January 15, 2015.
In subsequent legislation (H. 481, signed by the Governor on June 5, 2015, Vt. Act 54 of 2015, in Section 56.), the legislature directed the Blueprint for Health to “work collaboratively to begin including family-centered approaches and adverse childhood experience screenings consistent with the report entitled “Integrating ACE-Informed Practice into the Blueprint for Health.” Considerations should include prevention, early identification, and screening, as well as reducing the impact of adverse childhood experiences through trauma-informed treatment and suicide prevention initiatives.” Here is the link to the Act (see page 67 of 71):
http://legislature.vermont.gov...4%20As%20Enacted.pdf
Timeline:
—Legislation (H. 762) introduced by Dr. Till in 2014; the legislature passed a bill that included a provision to require a study about ACE-informed medical practice, but not to require Blueprint practices in the state to use the ACE questionnaire as a tool to assess health care (Act 144, Sec. 16, p.11-12, signed May 27, 2014)
See two 2014 reports in ACEs Too High.com:
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