Beverly Hills High School's coaching staff would need to complete mental health training under a bill headed to Gov. Gavin Newsom's desk.

AB 1626 would require every K-12 sports coach in California to learn how to recognize warning signs of depression, anxiety, eating disorders, substance use disorders and suicidal ideation. Coaches would also be trained on connecting struggling student athletes to resources. The California State Legislature passed the bill with bipartisan support the week of Aug. 25.

The bill was authored by Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel (D-Encino), Assemblywoman Blanca Pacheco (D-Downey) and Assemblywoman Jacqui Irwin (D-Thousand Oaks).

"Coaches are uniquely positioned and are often the first to notice when young people are struggling and in need of help," Gabriel said in a statement Tuesday, Sept. 1. "This bill will empower youth sports coaches with the tools and training they need to help students in crisis."

The bill passed with bipartisan support.

NBA star Stephen Curry backed the legislation through his Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation, which has funded coach mental health training programs in Oakland. The bill also drew support from State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, the San Francisco Giants, the San Francisco 49ers, NAMI California and the American Academy of Pediatrics of California.

According to data cited in the bill's supporting materials, only one in five coaches report feeling highly confident supporting a student dealing with a mental health or substance use disorder. Four in five said they feel less than fully prepared. Nearly one in four men under 30 report having no close friends at all, and California's young men and boys have seen a rise in suicide rates, the materials said.

AB 1626 also directs the California Department of Education (CDE) to build a model training program that recreational and club coaches can use statewide.

Beverly Hills Unified School District already operates the Norman Aid Wellness Center at Beverly Hills High School and partners with the Maple Counseling Center for parent support sessions, according to a city Health and Safety Commission report from January. How the new training requirements would layer onto those existing resources remains unclear.

Irwin, one of the bill's co-authors, pointed to the loss of Sarah Shulze, a multi-event runner from Ventura County who appears to have taken her own life in 2022, as motivation for the legislation.

Newsom has until Sept. 30 to sign or veto the bill. No implementation timeline for coach training has been announced.

If you are having suicidal thoughts, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.