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First Substitute H.B. 325

Representative Carol Spackman Moss proposes the following substitute bill:


             1     
BULLYING AND HAZING

             2     
2008 GENERAL SESSION

             3     
STATE OF UTAH

             4     
Chief Sponsor: Carol Spackman Moss

             5     
Senate Sponsor: Jon J. Greiner

             6     
             7      LONG TITLE
             8      General Description:
             9          This bill amends Title 53A, State System of Public Education, to enact provisions, and
             10      require adoption of school policies, relating to bullying and hazing.
             11      Highlighted Provisions:
             12          This bill:
             13          .    defines terms;
             14          .    prohibits bullying or hazing, retaliation for reporting, or assisting in the
             15      investigation of, bullying or hazing, and making a false report of bullying or hazing;
             16          .    requires and encourages the reporting of bullying, hazing, or retaliation;
             17          .    provides immunity for the good faith reporting of bullying, hazing, or retaliation;
             18          .    requires local school boards and local charter boards to adopt a policy, on or before
             19      September 1, 2009, for reporting and responding to bullying, hazing, or retaliation;
             20          .    describes the minimum requirements for a policy described in the preceding
             21      paragraph;
             22          .    requires the State Board of Education to develop, on or before September 1, 2008, a
             23      model policy on bullying, hazing, or retaliation; and
             24          .    provides for training and education regarding, and the prevention of, bullying,
             25      hazing, or retaliation.


             26      Monies Appropriated in this Bill:
             27          None
             28      Other Special Clauses:
             29          None
             30      Utah Code Sections Affected:
             31      ENACTS:
             32          53A-11a-101, Utah Code Annotated 1953
             33          53A-11a-102, Utah Code Annotated 1953
             34          53A-11a-201, Utah Code Annotated 1953
             35          53A-11a-202, Utah Code Annotated 1953
             36          53A-11a-301, Utah Code Annotated 1953
             37          53A-11a-302, Utah Code Annotated 1953
             38          53A-11a-401, Utah Code Annotated 1953
             39          53A-11a-402, Utah Code Annotated 1953
             40          53A-11a-501, Utah Code Annotated 1953
             41          53A-11a-502, Utah Code Annotated 1953
             42     
             43      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             44          Section 1. Section 53A-11a-101 is enacted to read:
             45     
CHAPTER 11a. BULLYING AND HAZING

             46     
Part 1. General Provisions

             47          53A-11a-101. Title.
             48          This chapter is known as "Bullying and Hazing."
             49          Section 2. Section 53A-11a-102 is enacted to read:
             50          53A-11a-102. Definitions.
             51          As used in this part:
             52          (1) (a) "Bullying" means intentionally or knowingly committing an act that:
             53          (i) (A) endangers the physical health or safety of a school employee or student;
             54          (B) involves any brutality of a physical nature such as whipping, beating, branding,
             55      calisthenics, bruising, electric shocking, placing of a harmful substance on the body, or
             56      exposure to the elements;


             57          (C) involves consumption of any food, liquor, drug, or other substance;
             58          (D) involves other physical activity that endangers the physical health and safety of a
             59      school employee or student; or
             60          (E) involves physically obstructing a school employee's or student's freedom to move;
             61      and
             62          (ii) is done for the purpose of placing a school employee or student in fear of:
             63          (A) physical harm to the school employee or student; or
             64          (B) harm to property of the school employee or student.
             65          (b) The conduct described in Subsection (1)(a) constitutes bullying, regardless of
             66      whether the person against whom the conduct is committed directed, consented to, or
             67      acquiesced in, the conduct.
             68          (2) (a) "Hazing" means intentionally or knowingly committing an act that:
             69          (i) (A) endangers the physical health or safety of a school employee or student;
             70          (B) involves any brutality of a physical nature such as whipping, beating, branding,
             71      calisthenics, bruising, electric shocking, placing of a harmful substance on the body, or
             72      exposure to the elements;
             73          (C) involves consumption of any food, liquor, drug, or other substance;
             74          (D) involves other physical activity that endangers the physical health and safety of a
             75      school employee or student; or
             76          (E) involves physically obstructing a school employee's or student's freedom to move;
             77      and
             78          (ii) (A) is done for the purpose of initiation or admission into, affiliation with, holding
             79      office in, or as a condition for, membership or acceptance, or continued membership or
             80      acceptance, in any school or school sponsored team, organization, program, or event; or
             81          (B) if the person committing the act against a school employee or student knew that the
             82      school employee or student is a member of, or candidate for, membership with a school, or
             83      school sponsored team, organization, program, or event to which the person committing the act
             84      belongs to or participates in.
             85          (b) The conduct described in Subsection (2)(a) constitutes hazing, regardless of
             86      whether the person against whom the conduct is committed directed, consented to, or
             87      acquiesced in, the conduct.


             88          (3) "Policy" means a bullying and hazing policy described in Section 53A-11a-401 .
             89          (4) "Retaliate" means an act or communication intended:
             90          (a) as retribution against a person for reporting bullying or hazing; or
             91          (b) to improperly influence the investigation of, or the response to, a report of bullying
             92      or hazing.
             93          (5) "School" means any public elementary or secondary school or charter school.
             94          (6) "School board" means:
             95          (a) a local school board; or
             96          (b) a local charter board.
             97          (7) "School employee" means:
             98          (a) school teachers;
             99          (b) school staff;
             100          (c) school administrators; and
             101          (d) all others employed, directly or indirectly, by the school, school board, or school
             102      district.
             103          Section 3. Section 53A-11a-201 is enacted to read:
             104     
Part 2. Prohibitions

             105          53A-11a-201. Bullying and hazing prohibited.
             106          (1) No school employee or student may engage in bullying a school employee or
             107      student:
             108          (a) on school property;
             109          (b) at a school related or sponsored event;
             110          (c) on a school bus;
             111          (d) at a school bus stop; or
             112          (e) while the school employee or student is traveling to or from a location or event
             113      described in Subsections (1)(a) through (d).
             114          (2) No school employee or student may engage in hazing a school employee or student
             115      at any time or in any location.
             116          Section 4. Section 53A-11a-202 is enacted to read:
             117          53A-11a-202. Retaliation and false reporting prohibited.
             118          (1) No school employee or student may engage in retaliation against:


             119          (a) a school employee;
             120          (b) a student; or
             121          (c) an investigator for, or a witness of, an alleged incident of bullying, hazing, or
             122      retaliation.
             123          (2) No school employee or student may make a false report of bullying, hazing, or
             124      retaliation against a school employee or student.
             125          Section 5. Section 53A-11a-301 is enacted to read:
             126     
Part 3. Reporting

             127          53A-11a-301. Reporting of bullying, hazing, or retaliation required.
             128          (1) A school employee who witnesses, or has reliable information regarding, an
             129      incident of bullying, hazing, or retaliation shall report the incident and information to the
             130      school official designated in the school's policy.
             131          (2) A student or parent who witnesses, or has reliable information regarding, an
             132      incident of bullying, hazing, or retaliation is encouraged to report the incident and information
             133      to the school official designated in the school's policy.
             134          Section 6. Section 53A-11a-302 is enacted to read:
             135          53A-11a-302. Immunity for reporting in good faith.
             136          A school employee, student, or parent who reports an incident of, or information
             137      relating to, bullying, hazing, or retaliation, is immune from any civil liability that otherwise
             138      might result by reason of making the report, if the report is made:
             139          (1) promptly;
             140          (2) in good faith;
             141          (3) to the school official designated in the school's policy; and
             142          (4) in accordance with the school's policy.
             143          Section 7. Section 53A-11a-401 is enacted to read:
             144     
Part 4. School Policy

             145          53A-11a-401. Bullying and hazing policy.
             146          (1) On or before September 1, 2009, each school board shall adopt a bullying or hazing
             147      policy.
             148          (2) The policy shall:
             149          (a) be developed only with input from:


             150          (i) students;
             151          (ii) parents;
             152          (iii) teachers;
             153          (iv) school administrators;
             154          (v) school staff; or
             155          (vi) local law enforcement agencies;
             156          (b) be implemented in an ongoing, consistent, and nondiscriminatory manner;
             157          (c) be integrated with existing school discipline policies and violence prevention
             158      efforts; and
             159          (d) provide protection to a student, regardless of the student's legal status.
             160          (3) The policy shall include the following components:
             161          (a) definitions of bullying and hazing that, at a minimum, include the conduct
             162      described in the definitions of bullying and hazing under Section 53A-11a-102 ;
             163          (b) the prohibitions described in Part 2, Prohibitions;
             164          (c) a description of the action that may be taken, and consequences or penalties that
             165      may be imposed, for engaging in prohibited bullying, hazing, or retaliation against a school
             166      employee or student for reporting bullying or hazing, which shall include:
             167          (i) suspension; or
             168          (ii) dissolution of a team, organization, or other group;
             169          (d) procedures for protecting:
             170          (i) a victim of bullying or hazing from being subjected to further bullying or hazing;
             171      and
             172          (ii) a school employee or student from retaliation for reporting bullying or hazing;
             173          (e) procedures for promptly reporting to law enforcement all acts of bullying, hazing,
             174      or retaliation that constitute criminal activity;
             175          (f) procedures for promptly investigating and responding to reports of bullying, hazing,
             176      or retaliation;
             177          (g) procedures allowing for anonymous reporting of bullying, hazing, or retaliation;
             178          (h) specification of the persons responsible for taking, investigating, and responding to
             179      reports of bullying, hazing, or retaliation;
             180          (i) a procedure for referring a victim of bullying or hazing to counseling;


             181          (j) involving the parents or guardians of a perpetrator or victim of bullying, hazing, or
             182      retaliation in the process of responding to, and resolving, conduct prohibited by this chapter;
             183          (k) to the extent permitted by federal and state law, including the federal Family
             184      Educational and Privacy Rights Act of 1974, as amended, a procedure informing the parents or
             185      guardians of a student who is a victim of bullying or hazing of the actions taken against the
             186      perpetrators of the bullying or hazing;
             187          (l) procedures and plans for publicizing the policy to school employees, students, and
             188      parents and guardians of students; and
             189          (m) procedures and plans for training school employees and students in recognizing,
             190      preventing, and reporting bullying, hazing, or retaliation.
             191          (4) A copy of the policy shall be included in student conduct handbooks and employee
             192      handbooks.
             193          (5) A policy may not permit formal disciplinary action that is based solely on an
             194      anonymous report of bullying, hazing, or retaliation.
             195          (6) Nothing in this chapter is intended to infringe upon the right of a school employee
             196      or student to exercise their right of free speech.
             197          Section 8. Section 53A-11a-402 is enacted to read:
             198          53A-11a-402. Model policy.
             199          On or before September 1, 2008, the State Board of Education shall:
             200          (1) develop a model policy on bullying, hazing, and retaliation, consistent with Section
             201      53A-11a-401 , in order to assist a school board in adopting a policy under Section
             202      53A-11a-401 ; and
             203          (2) post the model policy described in Subsection (1) on the State Board of Education's
             204      website.
             205          Section 9. Section 53A-11a-501 is enacted to read:
             206     
Part 5. Miscellaneous

             207          53A-11a-501. Training, education, and prevention.
             208          (1) A school board shall include in the training of a school employee, training
             209      regarding bullying, hazing, and retaliation.
             210          (2) To the extent that state or federal funding is available for this purpose, school
             211      boards are encouraged to implement programs or initiatives, in addition to the training


             212      described in Subsection (1), to provide for training and education regarding, and the prevention
             213      of, bullying, hazing, and retaliation.
             214          (3) The programs or initiatives described in Subsection (2) may involve:
             215          (a) the establishment of a bullying task force; or
             216          (b) the involvement of school employees, students, or law enforcement.
             217          Section 10. Section 53A-11a-502 is enacted to read:
             218          53A-11a-502. Other forms of legal redress.
             219          (1) Nothing in this chapter prohibits a victim of bullying, hazing, or retaliation from
             220      seeking legal redress under any other provisions of civil or criminal law.
             221          (2) This section does not create or alter tort liability.


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