Bill Text: CT SB00235 | 2011 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: An Act Strengthening School Bullying Laws.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-01-20 - Referred to Joint Committee on Education [SB00235 Detail]
Download: Connecticut-2011-SB00235-Introduced.html
General Assembly |
Proposed Bill No. 235 |
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January Session, 2011 |
LCO No. 1854 | ||||
Referred to Committee on Education |
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Introduced by: |
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SEN. LOONEY, 11th Dist. SEN. STILLMAN, 20th Dist. |
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AN ACT STRENGTHENING SCHOOL BULLYING LAWS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
That title 10 of the general statutes be amended to (1) require the Department of Education to (A) provide or assist in the provision of continuing required training to all school personnel on preventing, identifying and responding to school bullying, including online tutorials and in-person workshops, (B) provide or recommend model anti-bullying curricula and policies to local and regional boards of education, (C) develop model anti-bullying policies to help guide local and regional boards of education, and (D) provide or assist in the provision of anti-bullying information to parents, which shall include, but not be limited to, a written description of the state law and training materials; (2) expand the definition of bullying under section 10-222d of the general statutes to include electronic communications and certain other acts that may occur off of school property; (3) require local and regional boards of education to include an anti-bullying curriculum in the coursework for each grade; (4) prohibit and punish acts of retaliation against individuals who report or aid in a bullying investigation; (5) establish a uniform state-wide procedure for investigating bullying; (6) require local and regional boards of education to appoint an anti-bullying coordinator for the school district from amongst existing school and district employees; (7) require all school principals to appoint an anti-bullying specialist for their school from amongst existing school employees; (8) require local and regional boards of education to establish in each school in the district a school safety committee that shall be responsible for assisting in anti-bullying efforts and helping to foster a safe school climate; (9) require all applicants for certification, pursuant to section 10-145b of the general statutes, to successfully complete anti-bullying training; and (10) provide civil immunity to individuals who report in good faith incidents of bullying or aid in a bullying investigation.
Statement of Purpose:
To help foster safe school climates and by strengthening and expanding Connecticut's school bullying laws.