A new Ohio law, which took effect July 4, requires that school sports coaches undergo training to support students with mental health struggles.
House Bill 33 includes a provision that states all coaches must complete the training before they can apply for or renew their pupil-activity program permit.
The training courses must be approved by the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services. Ohio is the only state with such a provision.
"Maryland has a bill currently working its way through the legislature, but it hasn’t passed yet, and no other states have a similar law on the books," Ron Zambrano, a partner attorney at West Coast Employment Lawyers told Fox News Digital.
"A prospective coach must pass one of these pre-approved programs, and they would need to complete the training again each time they apply to participate in a different school activity," Zambrano said.
"If a coach doesn’t pass the required tests, it appears based on the law that they wouldn’t be allowed to coach."
Director of athletics at Loveland City School near Cincinnati said the requirement is long overdue.
"I have incorporated mental health and suicide prevention training with my coaches for the past five years," he told Fox News Digital. "At the end of the day, the safety and well-being of our student-athletes must be at the forefront of every decision we make."
