Rep. Reagan Paul (R-Winterport) along with eight Republican co-sponsors, proposed a bill on Tuesday that would place chaplains in Maine public schools as a new method of combatting the mental health crisis afflicting America’s youth.

“The definition of insanity is trying the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. I am proud to present this bill to actually address our mental health crisis in our schools. Schools that have chaplains are demonstrated to have improved school safety, better teacher retention, and improved mental health outcomes,” said Rep. Paul.

The bill, LD 927 is set to have a public hearing in the Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs on March 26.

Under the bill, each Maine School Administrative District would employ or accept as a volunteer at least one chaplain to provide support, services, and programs for students, staff, and even parents of children in a given school district.

The chaplain must be certified or licensed by a religious organization recognized by the Department of Defense (DoD), thereby preventing a satanist, or cult member from being instated as a school chaplain, as their organizations are not recognized by the DoD.

Chaplains would also be subject to fingerprinting and a background check that will ensure that no one listed as a sex offender is admitted into a school as a chaplain.

Paul’s bill provides protection from civil liability for statements made and actions taken by chaplains carrying out their role, though they are not protected from prosecution for acts or statements made maliciously or intended to harm a person seeking their support.

“To date, over 30 million people have been served by school chaplains and have programs implemented in more than 36,000 schools in over 23 countries, including the United States of America,” said Paul.

Chaplains would be able to provide advice to students on a variety of matters and offer a sympathetic listener for students wishing to discuss their problems.