Bill Text: NY S06210 | 2017-2018 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Relates to teen dating violence education programs; requires school districts to create policies, procedures and guidelines to implement education programs for students in kindergarten through twelfth grade to prevent, deter and address incidents of teen dating violence; defines teen dating violence.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 2-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2018-01-03 - REFERRED TO EDUCATION [S06210 Detail]
Download: New_York-2017-S06210-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 6210 2017-2018 Regular Sessions IN SENATE May 11, 2017 ___________ Introduced by Sen. LANZA -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Education AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to teen dating violence education programs The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Subdivision 7 of section 11 of the education law, as 2 amended by chapter 102 of the laws of 2012, is amended to read as 3 follows: 4 7. "Harassment" and "bullying" shall mean the creation of a hostile 5 environment by conduct or by threats, intimidation, coercion or abuse, 6 including cyberbullying or teen dating violence, that (a) has or would 7 have the effect of unreasonably and substantially interfering with a 8 student's educational performance, opportunities or benefits, or mental, 9 emotional or physical well-being; or (b) reasonably causes or would 10 reasonably be expected to cause a student to fear for his or her phys- 11 ical safety; or (c) reasonably causes or would reasonably be expected to 12 cause physical injury or emotional harm to a student; or (d) occurs off 13 school property and creates or would foreseeably create a risk of 14 substantial disruption within the school environment, where it is fore- 15 seeable that the conduct, threats, intimidation or abuse might reach 16 school property. Acts of harassment and bullying shall include, but not 17 be limited to, those acts based on a person's actual or perceived race, 18 color, weight, national origin, ethnic group, religion, religious prac- 19 tice, disability, sexual orientation, gender or sex. For the purposes of 20 this definition the term "threats, intimidation or abuse" shall include 21 verbal and non-verbal actions. 22 § 2. Section 11 of the education law is amended by adding a new subdi- 23 vision 9 to read as follows: 24 9. "Teen dating violence" shall mean emotional abuse, electronic 25 abuse, sexual abuse which includes sexual coercion, and/or physical EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD06443-01-7S. 6210 2 1 abuse by a person to harm, threaten, intimidate, control, and/or attempt 2 to control another person in a relationship of a romantic or intimate 3 nature, regardless of whether that relationship is continuing or had 4 concluded or the number of interactions between the individuals 5 involved. 6 § 3. Section 13 of the education law is amended by adding a new subdi- 7 vision 6 to read as follows: 8 6. Guidelines relating to the development of strategies and responses 9 to teen dating violence as provided in section thirteen-a of this arti- 10 cle. 11 § 4. The education law is amended by adding a new section 13-a to read 12 as follows: 13 § 13-a. Policies, procedures and guidelines for teen dating violence 14 education programs. 1. The board of education and the trustees or sole 15 trustee of every school district shall create policies, procedures and 16 guidelines to implement education programs for students in kindergarten 17 through twelfth grade to prevent, deter and address incidents of teen 18 dating violence that include, but are not limited to: 19 a. incorporating age-appropriate information about healthy relation- 20 ships and teen dating violence into the school's existing curriculum 21 that includes: (i) a definition of teen dating violence; (ii) recogni- 22 tion of warning signs; (iii) characteristics of a healthy relationship; 23 (iv) links between bullying and teen dating violence; (v) responsible 24 use of technology; and (vi) responsible bystander skills and behaviors; 25 b. providing training programs for teachers, administrators and 26 personnel; 27 c. designating at least one person as a prevention liaison who is 28 responsible for coordinating all teen dating violence and healthy 29 relationship initiatives; and 30 d. developing a response program to incidents of teen dating violence, 31 which includes monitoring and reporting components. 32 2. The board of education and the trustees or sole trustee of every 33 school district shall create such policies, procedures and guidelines in 34 consultation with the New York state coalition against domestic violence 35 and local community providers, and include without limitation such model 36 provisions as are recommended by the New York state coalition against 37 domestic violence. 38 § 5. Paragraph j of subdivision 2 of section 2801-a of the education 39 law, as amended by section 1 of part B of chapter 54 of the laws of 40 2016, is amended to read as follows: 41 j. strategies for improving communication among students and between 42 students and staff and reporting of potentially violent incidents, such 43 as the establishment of youth-run programs, peer mediation, conflict 44 resolution, creating a forum or designating a mentor for students 45 concerned with bullying or violence, including teen dating violence, and 46 establishing anonymous reporting mechanisms for school violence; 47 § 6. Section 801-a of the education law, as amended by chapter 102 of 48 the laws of 2012, is amended to read as follows: 49 § 801-a. Instruction in civility, citizenship and character education. 50 The regents shall ensure that the course of instruction in grades 51 kindergarten through twelve includes a component on civility, citizen- 52 ship and character education. Such component shall instruct students on 53 the principles of honesty, tolerance, personal responsibility, respect 54 for others, with an emphasis on preventing and discouraging acts of 55 harassment, bullying, including teen dating violence, discrimination, 56 observance of laws and rules, courtesy, dignity and other traits whichS. 6210 3 1 will enhance the quality of their experiences in, and contributions to, 2 the community. Such component shall include instruction of safe, respon- 3 sible use of the internet and electronic communications. The regents 4 shall determine how to incorporate such component in existing curricula 5 and the commissioner shall promulgate any regulations needed to carry 6 out such determination of the regents. For the purposes of this section, 7 "tolerance," "respect for others" and "dignity" shall include awareness 8 and sensitivity to harassment, bullying, including teen dating violence, 9 discrimination and civility in the relations of people of different 10 races, weights, national origins, ethnic groups, religions, religious 11 practices, mental or physical abilities, sexual orientations, genders, 12 and sexes. 13 § 7. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after 14 it shall have become a law; provided that the commissioner of education 15 is authorized to promulgate any and all rules and regulations and take 16 any other measures necessary to implement this act on its effective date 17 on or before such date.
