TAMPA, Fl. - Halfway through the current school year, Spectrum Bay News 9 has an update on the implementation of a five-hour mental health class requirement at all middle and high schools.

The initiative was announced at the end of last school year by the First Lady of Florida.

Today, Florida Senate President Bill Galvano announced possible updates to the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Public Safety Act, including implementation of the initiative.

Senate Bill 7040 will have a full floor vote during the legislative session and it hopes to implement new recommendations by the commission with the same name.

Those include background checks for the Guardian program before applicants go through training.

There’s also a rule for the implementation of a family reunification plan for districts if a tragedy happens.

And the proposal calls for better coordination in the delivery of mental health services to students, among others initiatives in the bill.

How are schools going to give this instruction? A few examples of the variety of implementation strategies are below:

Pasco

One way to make sure every high schooler gets their five hours done every year is by having the English Language Arts Department give the classes.

That's what Pasco County is doing, along with health counselors.

“As a reminder, for the 19-20 school year the state has adopted three legislative rules that the district must ensure compliance with prior to the end of the school year,” said the Pasco Schools Communications email.  “These rules cover Mental Health, Substance Use and Abuse, and Child Trafficking.  The school-based staff who have various responsibilities related to this implementation include ELA teachers, HOPE teachers and School Counselors.”

Why would English teachers have to instruct mental health?

It's a class every student has to take every year, so it guarantees they'll get in the five-hour instruction.

Pasco English teachers will be trained to give this class.

Hillsborough

In Hillsborough, they're casting a wider net of collaboration.   

Their implementation plan, which was sent to the Department of Education, said they'll teach the five hours during English classes, as well as Health, Physical Education, Research/Critical Thinking and Social Studies courses.

Citrus

Citrus county officials said middle schools in their district are delivering the instruction through P.E. and some in their first period class.

“Teachers are delivering instruction in a variety of ways, depending on the school,” wrote Citrus spokesperson Lindsay Blair.  “In addition, we are collaborating with outside agencies such as Citrus County Sheriff’s Office and Jessie’s Place to deliver the education related to Substance Use and Abuse and Child Trafficking.”

Each school district will implement this new mental health class in their own way.

Officials told Spectrum they are talking to other districts to see what works.

Florida schools have until the end of the 2019-2020 school year to turn in their implementation plans to the state.