Bill Text: IA SF2207 | 2019-2020 | 88th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: A bill for an act relating to state and school antiharassment and antibullying policies, providing for a competitive grant program to provide related training, and providing for a school climate and bullying prevention work group.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-02-12 - Subcommittee: Sinclair, Behn, and J. Smith. S.J. 290. [SF2207 Detail]
Download: Iowa-2019-SF2207-Introduced.html
Senate
File
2207
-
Introduced
SENATE
FILE
2207
BY
J.
SMITH
A
BILL
FOR
An
Act
relating
to
state
and
school
antiharassment
and
1
antibullying
policies,
providing
for
a
competitive
grant
2
program
to
provide
related
training,
and
providing
for
a
3
school
climate
and
bullying
prevention
work
group.
4
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
5
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Section
1.
Section
256.7,
Code
2020,
is
amended
by
adding
1
the
following
new
subsections:
2
NEW
SUBSECTION
.
34.
Adopt
by
rule
procedures
for
school
3
districts
and
accredited
nonpublic
schools
to
carry
out
the
4
collection
and
reporting
of
harassment
and
bullying
incidence
5
data
pursuant
to
section
280.28.
The
rules
shall
require
the
6
inclusion
of
such
data
in
the
school
district’s
or
school’s
7
basic
educational
data
survey.
The
rules
shall
include
8
procedures
to
ensure
the
accuracy
of
the
data
and
timelines
for
9
school
districts
and
accredited
nonpublic
schools
to
complete
10
such
collection
and
reporting
after
an
incident
of
harassment
11
or
bullying
occurs.
The
rules
shall
also
provide
for
the
12
annual
publication
of
such
data
on
the
department’s
internet
13
site.
14
NEW
SUBSECTION
.
35.
Subject
to
an
appropriation
of
two
15
hundred
fifty
thousand
dollars
by
the
general
assembly,
16
establish
a
competitive
grant
program
for
Iowa
nonprofit
17
organizations
with
expertise
in
antibullying
practices
to
18
conduct
research-based
training
on
investigating
complaints
of
19
incidents
of
harassment
or
bullying
pursuant
to
section
280.28
20
in
school
districts.
21
Sec.
2.
Section
280.28,
subsection
2,
paragraph
a,
Code
22
2020,
is
amended
to
read
as
follows:
23
a.
“Electronic”
means
any
communication
involving
the
24
transmission
of
information
by
wire,
radio,
optical
cable,
25
electromagnetic,
or
other
similar
means.
“Electronic”
includes
26
but
is
not
limited
to
communication
via
electronic
mail,
27
internet-based
communications
including
social
networking
28
sites
,
pager
service,
cell
phones,
and
electronic
text
29
messaging
,
and
any
other
electronic
communication
site,
device,
30
or
means
.
31
Sec.
3.
Section
280.28,
subsection
6,
Code
2020,
is
amended
32
to
read
as
follows:
33
6.
Collection
requirement.
The
board
of
directors
of
34
a
school
district
and
the
authorities
in
charge
of
each
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nonpublic
school
shall
develop
and
maintain
a
system
to
collect
1
harassment
and
bullying
incidence
data
and
report
such
data
2
to
the
department
of
education
as
required
by
the
department
3
pursuant
to
section
256.7,
subsection
34
.
Such
system
shall
4
include
data
on
the
nature
of
each
incident
of
harassment
or
5
bullying,
including
but
not
limited
to
whether
the
nature
of
6
the
incident
was
electronic,
verbal,
relational,
physical,
7
or
motivated
by
bias
against
a
trait
or
characteristic
of
a
8
student.
A
board
shall
identify
students
in
the
system
using
9
only
a
student’s
Iowa
student
state
identification
number.
10
Sec.
4.
Section
280.28,
Code
2020,
is
amended
by
adding
the
11
following
new
subsection:
12
NEW
SUBSECTION
.
9.
Authority
off
school
grounds.
13
a.
A
school
official
may
investigate
and
impose
school
14
discipline
in
a
founded
case
of
harassment
or
bullying
that
15
occurs
outside
of
school,
off
of
school
property,
or
away
from
16
a
school
function
or
school-sponsored
activity
if
all
of
the
17
following
apply:
18
(1)
An
incident
of
harassment
or
bullying
is
reported
19
pursuant
to
the
school’s
policy
adopted
under
subsection
3,
20
paragraph
“e”
.
21
(2)
The
alleged
incident
of
harassment
or
bullying
has
22
an
effect
on
a
student
on
school
grounds
that
creates
an
23
objectively
hostile
school
environment
that
meets
one
or
more
24
of
the
conditions
set
out
under
subsection
2,
paragraph
“b”
.
25
b.
A
school
official’s
investigation
and
response
to
an
26
alleged
incident
of
bullying
or
harassment
that
occurs
outside
27
of
school,
off
of
school
property,
or
away
from
a
school
28
function
or
school-sponsored
activity
may
include
referring
29
the
matter
to
appropriate
community-based
agencies
including
30
but
not
limited
to
social
services
agencies,
law
enforcement
31
agencies,
and
nonprofit
organizations.
32
Sec.
5.
SCHOOL
CLIMATE
AND
BULLYING
PREVENTION
WORK
GROUP.
33
1.
The
department
of
education
shall
convene
a
34
public-private
work
group
of
representatives
of
state
and
local
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agencies,
citizens,
community
groups,
and
organizations
who
1
have
experience
and
expertise
in
the
areas
of
antibullying
2
education,
research,
and
training.
The
work
group,
after
3
reviewing
existing
research,
data,
and
strategies,
shall
4
provide
recommendations
to
the
department
regarding
best
5
practices,
training,
resources,
additional
research
needs,
6
data
collection,
changes
to
state
law
and
administrative
7
rules,
and
any
other
matters
to
enhance
statewide
school
8
climate
improvement
and
bullying
prevention,
awareness,
and
9
intervention.
10
2.
The
membership
of
the
work
group
shall
include
but
not
11
be
limited
to
the
following,
to
be
appointed
by
the
director
12
of
the
department
of
education:
13
a.
At
least
three
Iowans
who
are
experts
in
research-based
14
antibullying
curricula
or
programs.
15
b.
A
public
or
nonpublic
high
school
student.
16
c.
A
parent
of
a
student
enrolled
in
a
public
elementary
or
17
secondary
school
on
a
full-time
basis.
18
d.
A
parent
of
a
student
enrolled
in
a
nonpublic
elementary
19
or
secondary
school
on
a
full-time
basis.
20
e.
A
member
from
nominees
submitted
by
the
school
21
administrators
of
Iowa.
22
f.
A
member
from
nominees
submitted
by
the
Iowa
association
23
of
school
boards.
24
g.
A
member
from
nominees
submitted
by
the
Iowa
state
25
education
association.
26
h.
Representatives
from
any
organizations
representing
27
other
relevant
public
or
nonpublic
school
professionals.
28
i.
A
representative
from
a
statewide
organization
that
29
provides
research-based
training
on
bullying
for
school
30
professionals.
31
j.
A
representative
from
at
least
one
statewide
32
organization
with
at
least
five
years’
experience
in
advocating
33
on
bullying
prevention
based
on
research-based
best
practices.
34
k.
A
representative
for
children
placed
in
foster
care.
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l.
A
representative
of
school
counselors.
1
m.
A
member
from
nominees
submitted
by
the
Iowa
parent
2
teacher
association.
3
n.
A
representative
of
Iowa
safe
schools.
4
3.
When
making
appointments
to
the
work
group,
the
director
5
shall
ensure
that
public,
nonpublic,
urban,
and
rural
schools
6
are
adequately
represented
by
the
membership
of
the
work
group.
7
4.
The
work
group
shall
also
include
two
ex
officio
members
8
of
each
house
of
the
general
assembly.
One
member
each
shall
9
be
selected
by
the
majority
leader
of
the
senate
and
by
the
10
minority
leader
of
the
senate,
and
one
member
each
shall
be
11
selected
by
the
speaker
of
the
house
of
representatives
and
by
12
the
minority
leader
of
the
house
of
representatives.
Members
13
of
the
general
assembly
shall
serve
for
terms
as
provided
in
14
section
69.16B
and
shall
be
entitled
to
receive
per
diem
and
15
necessary
travel
and
actual
expenses
pursuant
to
section
2.10,
16
subsection
5,
while
carrying
out
their
official
duties
as
17
members
of
the
work
group.
18
5.
The
department
shall
convene
the
work
group
by
October
19
1,
2020.
The
work
group
shall
submit
its
findings
and
20
recommendations
in
a
final
report
to
the
department
and
the
21
chairpersons
and
ranking
members
of
the
senate
and
house
22
committees
on
education
by
December
13,
2021.
23
EXPLANATION
24
The
inclusion
of
this
explanation
does
not
constitute
agreement
with
25
the
explanation’s
substance
by
the
members
of
the
general
assembly.
26
This
bill
relates
to
antiharassment
and
antibullying
efforts
27
in
schools.
28
The
bill
requires
the
board
of
education
to
establish
a
29
competitive
grant
program
for
Iowa
nonprofit
organizations
with
30
expertise
in
antibullying
practices
to
conduct
research-based
31
training
on
investigating
complaints
of
incidents
of
harassment
32
or
bullying
pursuant
to
Code
section
280.28
in
school
33
districts,
subject
to
an
appropriation
of
$250,000
by
the
34
general
assembly.
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The
bill
modifies
the
definition
of
“electronic”
under
Code
1
section
280.28
by
adding
any
other
electronic
communication
2
site,
device,
or
means
to
the
definition
and
by
including
3
social
networking
sites
as
part
of
the
term
“internet-based
4
communications”.
5
The
bill
requires
that
the
system
developed
and
maintained
6
by
school
boards
and
authorities
to
collect
harassment
and
7
bullying
incidence
data
include
data
on
the
nature
of
each
8
incident
of
harassment
or
bullying
as
specified
in
the
bill.
9
The
bill
requires
a
board
to
identify
students
in
the
system
10
using
only
a
student’s
Iowa
student
state
identification
11
number.
12
The
bill
requires
the
board
of
education
to
adopt
by
rule
13
procedures
for
school
districts
and
accredited
nonpublic
14
schools
to
carry
out
the
collection
and
reporting
of
harassment
15
and
bullying
incidence
data.
The
rules
shall
require
the
16
inclusion
of
such
data
in
the
school
district’s
or
school’s
17
basic
educational
data
survey.
The
rules
shall
also
include
18
procedures
to
ensure
the
accuracy
of
the
data
and
timelines
for
19
school
districts
and
accredited
nonpublic
schools
to
complete
20
such
collection
and
reporting
after
an
incident
of
harassment
21
or
bullying
occurs.
22
The
bill
grants
school
officials
the
authority
to
23
investigate
and
impose
school
discipline
or
take
other
action
24
in
cases
of
alleged
incidents
of
harassment
or
bullying
that
25
occur
outside
of
school,
off
of
school
property,
or
away
from
26
school
functions
or
school-sponsored
activities
if
certain
27
conditions
are
met.
Those
conditions
are
that
an
incident
of
28
harassment
or
bullying
is
reported
pursuant
to
the
school’s
29
antiharassment
and
antibullying
policy;
and
that
the
alleged
30
incident
of
harassment
or
bullying
has
an
effect
on
school
31
grounds
that
creates
an
objectively
hostile
school
environment
32
that
places
the
student
in
reasonable
fear
of
harm
to
the
33
student’s
person
or
property,
has
a
substantially
detrimental
34
effect
on
the
student’s
physical
or
mental
health,
has
the
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effect
of
substantially
interfering
with
a
student’s
academic
1
performance,
or
has
the
effect
of
substantially
interfering
2
with
the
student’s
ability
to
participate
in
or
benefit
from
3
the
services,
activities,
or
privileges
provided
by
a
school.
4
The
bill
provides
that
a
school
official’s
investigation
5
and
response
to
an
alleged
incident
of
bullying
or
harassment
6
that
occurs
outside
of
school,
off
of
school
property,
or
away
7
from
a
school
function
or
school-sponsored
activity
may
include
8
referring
the
matter
to
appropriate
community-based
agencies.
9
The
bill
requires
the
department
of
education
to
convene
10
a
public-private
work
group
of
representatives
of
state
and
11
local
agencies,
citizens,
community
groups,
and
organizations
12
who
have
experience
and
expertise
in
the
areas
of
antibullying
13
education,
research,
and
training.
The
work
group,
after
14
reviewing
existing
research,
data,
and
strategies,
shall
15
provide
recommendations
to
the
department
regarding
matters
16
to
enhance
statewide
school
climate
improvement
and
bullying
17
prevention,
awareness,
and
intervention.
The
bill
provides
for
18
membership
of
the
work
group
to
be
appointed
by
the
director
of
19
the
department.
When
making
appointments
to
the
work
group,
20
the
director
must
ensure
that
public,
nonpublic,
urban,
and
21
rural
schools
are
adequately
represented
by
the
membership
22
of
the
work
group.
The
work
group
shall
also
include
ex
23
officio
legislative
members.
The
department
must
convene
the
24
work
group
by
October
1,
2020.
The
work
group
must
submit
25
its
findings
and
recommendations
in
a
final
report
to
the
26
department
and
the
chairpersons
and
ranking
members
of
the
27
senate
and
house
committees
on
education
by
December
13,
2021.
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