HB2966 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB098 07950 NHT 38039 b

98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2013 and 2014
HB2966

Introduced , by Rep. Jerry F. Costello, II

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

105 ILCS 5/27-23.7

Amends the School Code. Requires the State Board of Education, in consultation with the Department of Juvenile Justice and the Department of Children and Family Services, to establish a bullying hotline for students, parents, teachers, and other parties to report any violence happening on school property, on a school bus, or over the Internet via cyberbullying. Provides that the hotline shall consist of a statewide, toll-free telephone number, with voicemail capabilities provided after working hours. Provides that the State Board shall also maintain an Internet website for reports to be submitted online. Requires the State Board to adopt rules to implement these provisions.

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning education.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Section 27-23.7 as follows:

(105 ILCS 5/27-23.7)

Sec. 27-23.7. Bullying prevention.

(a) The General Assembly finds that a safe and civil school environment is necessary for students to learn and achieve and that bullying causes physical, psychological, and emotional harm to students and interferes with students' ability to learn and participate in school activities. The General Assembly further finds that bullying has been linked to other forms of antisocial behavior, such as vandalism, shoplifting, skipping and dropping out of school, fighting, using drugs and alcohol, sexual harassment, and sexual violence. Because of the negative outcomes associated with bullying in schools, the General Assembly finds that school districts and non-public, non-sectarian elementary and secondary schools should educate students, parents, and school district or non-public, non-sectarian elementary or secondary school personnel about what behaviors constitute prohibited bullying.

Bullying on the basis of actual or perceived race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, physical or mental disability, military status, sexual orientation, gender-related identity or expression, unfavorable discharge from military service, association with a person or group with one or more of the aforementioned actual or perceived characteristics, or any other distinguishing characteristic is prohibited in all school districts and non-public, non-sectarian elementary and secondary schools. No student shall be subjected to bullying:

(1) during any school-sponsored education program or activity;

(2) while in school, on school property, on school buses or other school vehicles, at designated school bus stops waiting for the school bus, or at school-sponsored or school-sanctioned events or activities; or

(3) through the transmission of information from a school computer, a school computer network, or other similar electronic school equipment.

(b) In this Section:

"Bullying" means any severe or pervasive physical or verbal act or conduct, including communications made in writing or electronically, directed toward a student or students that has or can be reasonably predicted to have the effect of one or more of the following:

(1) placing the student or students in reasonable fear of harm to the student's or students' person or property;

(2) causing a substantially detrimental effect on the student's or students' physical or mental health;

(3) substantially interfering with the student's or students' academic performance; or

(4) substantially interfering with the student's or students' ability to participate in or benefit from the services, activities, or privileges provided by a school.

Bullying, as defined in this subsection (b), may take various forms, including without limitation one or more of the following: harassment, threats, intimidation, stalking, physical violence, sexual harassment, sexual violence, theft, public humiliation, destruction of property, or retaliation for asserting or alleging an act of bullying. This list is meant to be illustrative and non-exhaustive.

"School personnel" means persons employed by, on contract with, or who volunteer in a school district or non-public, non-sectarian elementary or secondary school, including without limitation school and school district administrators, teachers, school guidance counselors, school social workers, school counselors, school psychologists, school nurses, cafeteria workers, custodians, bus drivers, school resource officers, and security guards.

(c) (Blank).

(c-5) The State Board of Education, in consultation with the Department of Juvenile Justice and the Department of Children and Family Services, shall establish a bullying hotline for students, parents, teachers, and other parties to report any violence happening on school property, on a school bus, or over the Internet via cyberbullying. The hotline shall consist of a statewide, toll-free telephone number, with voicemail capabilities provided after working hours. The State Board shall also maintain an Internet website for reports to be submitted online. The State Board shall adopt rules to implement this subsection (c-5).

(d) Each school district and non-public, non-sectarian elementary or secondary school shall create and maintain a policy on bullying, which policy must be filed with the State Board of Education. Each school district and non-public, non-sectarian elementary or secondary school must communicate its policy on bullying to its students and their parent or guardian on an annual basis. The policy must be updated every 2 years and filed with the State Board of Education after being updated. The State Board of Education shall monitor the implementation of policies created under this subsection (d).

(e) This Section shall not be interpreted to prevent a victim from seeking redress under any other available civil or criminal law. Nothing in this Section is intended to infringe upon any right to exercise free expression or the free exercise of religion or religiously based views protected under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution or under Section 3 or 4 of Article 1 of the Illinois Constitution.

(Source: P.A. 95-198, eff. 1-1-08; 95-349, eff. 8-23-07; 95-876, eff. 8-21-08; 96-952, eff. 6-28-10.)