Signed by Governor Mark Dayton

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to concur with Senate amendments and pass a bill that requires schools to establish a student bullying policy with certain provisions.

Highlights:

• Requires a school or school district to establish and implement a policy to prevent and prohibit student “bullying” that contains certain provisions including, but not limited to, the following provisions (Sec. 1):
• The policy defines the roles and responsibilities of students, school personnel, and volunteers;
• The policy emphasizes remedial responses to stop and correct prohibited conduct;
• The policy is “conspicuously” posted in the administrative offices of the school and the district; and
• The policy is given to each student, school employee, and independent contractor who regularly interacts with students.

• Defines “bullying” as intimidating, threatening, abusive, or harming conduct that is “objectively offensive” and meets 1 of the following conditions (Sec. 1):
• The conduct is repetitive or pattern-like and there is an actual or perceived imbalance of power between the student engaging in prohibited conduct and the target of the behavior; or
• The conduct materially and substantially interferes with a student’s educational opportunities or performance, ability to participate in school functions, or ability to receive school benefits, services, or privileges.

• Requires a school or school district that does not establish a local student bullying policy to adopt and implement a state model policy developed by the Commissioner of Education (Sec. 1).

• Specifies that bullying may include, but is not limited to, conduct directed at a student based on the student’s actual or perceived race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic status (Sec. 1).

• Requires a school or school district to train all school personnel who regularly interact with students on how to identify, prevent, and address bullying as part of the personnel’s ongoing professional development (Sec. 1).

• Requires a school or school district to designate a staff member to be the primary contact person for the student bullying policy and to perform the following actions (Sec. 1):
• To receive reports of bullying; 
• To begin investigating reports of bullying within 3 days of the report; and
• To ensure that the student bullying policy and its procedures are “fairly and fully implemented.”

• Requires a school bullying policy to specify how the school will respond to an identified incident of bullying, including, but not limited to, a presumption that a school or school district official will notify the parents of the targeted student and of the bullying student (Sec. 1).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that requires schools to establish a student bullying policy with certain provisions.

Highlights:

• Requires a school or school district to establish and implement a policy to prevent and prohibit student “bullying” that contains certain provisions including, but not limited to, the following provisions (Sec. 1):
• The policy defines the roles and responsibilities of students, school personnel, and volunteers;
• The policy emphasizes remedial responses to stop and correct prohibited conduct;
• The policy is “conspicuously” posted in the administrative offices of the school and the district; and
• The policy is given to each student, school employee, and independent contractor who regularly interacts with students.

• Defines “bullying” as intimidating, threatening, abusive, or harming conduct that is “objectively offensive” and meets 1 of the following conditions (Sec. 1):
• The conduct is repetitive or pattern-like and there is an actual or perceived imbalance of power between the student engaging in prohibited conduct and the target of the behavior; or
• The conduct materially and substantially interferes with a student’s educational opportunities or performance, ability to participate in school functions, or ability to receive school benefits, services, or privileges.

• Requires a school or school district that does not establish a local student bullying policy to adopt and implement a state model policy developed by the Commissioner of Education (Sec. 1).

• Specifies that bullying may include, but is not limited to, conduct directed at a student based on the student’s actual or perceived race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic status (Sec. 1).

• Requires a school or school district to train all school personnel who regularly interact with students on how to identify, prevent, and address bullying as part of the personnel’s ongoing professional development (Sec. 1).

• Requires a school or school district to designate a staff member to be the primary contact person for the student bullying policy and to perform the following actions (Sec. 1):
• To receive reports of bullying; 
• To begin investigating reports of bullying within 3 days of the report; and
• To ensure that the student bullying policy and its procedures are “fairly and fully implemented.”

• Requires a school bullying policy to specify how the school will respond to an identified incident of bullying, including, but not limited to, a presumption that a school or school district official will notify the parents of the targeted student and of the bullying student (Sec. 1).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that requires schools to establish bullying policies.

Highlights:

• Requires a school or school district to establish and implement a policy to prevent and prohibit student “bullying” and “cyberbullying,” and requires the policy to be used in certain ways including, but not limited to, the following ways (Sec. 3):
• To apply to all students, school personnel, and volunteers;
• To emphasizes remedial responses over punitive measures;
• To be posted throughout the school building; and
• To be given to any new school employee.

• Defines “bullying” as intimidating, threatening, abusive, or harassing conduct that is “objectively offensive” and meets at least one of the following specifications (Sec. 3):
• The conduct causes physical harm or a fear of harm to a student or a student’s property;
• The conduct materially and substantially interferes with a student’s educational performance or ability to participate in a school function;
• The conduct violates a student’s “reasonable” expectation of privacy, defames student, or intentionally causes emotional distress against a student; or
• The conduct disrupts the work and discipline of the school.

• Defines “cyberbullying” as bullying using technology or other electronic communication, including, but not limited to, sending or posting on a social networking site a message that contains obscene words or images, advocates illegal conduct, or substantially disrupts a student's learning environment (Sec. 3).

• Specifies that bullying may include, but is not limited to, conduct directed at a student based on the student’s actual or perceived race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic status (Sec. 3).

• Requires a school or school district that does not establish a local student bullying policy to adopt and implement a state model policy developed by the Commissioner of Education (Sec. 3).

• Requires a school or school district to designate a staff member to be the primary contact person for the student bullying policy and to perform the following actions (Sec. 3):
• To receive reports of bullying; 
• To begin investigating reports of bullying within 3 days of the report; and
• To ensure that the student bullying policy and its procedures are “fairly and fully implemented.”

• Requires a school or district’s student bullying policy to include certain components including, but not limited to, the following components (Sec. 3):
• Requiring school employees and trained volunteers who witness bullying conduct to make “reasonable” efforts to address and resolve the conduct;
• Prohibiting reprisals against an individual who reports bullying conduct;
• Authorizing anonymous reporting of bullying conduct; and
• Requiring ongoing professional development to build the skills of all school personnel and volunteers to identify, prevent, and address bullying conduct.

• Specifies that a district or school official will notify the parent of any student affected by alleged bullying conduct, unless such notification is prohibited by law or determined to not be in the student’s best interest (Sec. 3).

• Establishes a “School Climate Center” to help schools provide a safe and supportive learning environment by providing services including, but not limited to, the following services (Secs. 13 & 14):
• Evidence-based policy review, development, and dissemination;
• Single, point-of-contact services for schools, parents, and students seeking help;
• Gathering of data to inform intervention and prevention programs; and
• Administrative and financial support.

Full Bill Text