STATEHOUSE — A bill that would crack down on bullying by placing more requirements to curtail it in school districts has cleared a State Senate committee.
House Bill 1483 would place new requirements on school districts to better report incidents of bullying both to the parents of the victim and the parents of the perpetrator.
The bill passed 11-0 out of the State Senate committee and will be heard in the full Senate soon. It will then have to go back to the House for approval since there were changes made in the Senate before it can be sent to Gov. Holcomb.
Portions of the bill will give the school district authority and better guidelines in order to transfer a perpetrator to another school within the district away from the victim. There is also a provision in the bill that would allow the victim and their parents to have a say over that process, but an amendment removed that putting sole authority over the transfer of a perpetrator back to the school district.
Several people testified to senators in the committee hearing on Wednesday including teachers, parents of those who have been bullied, and Rio’s Rainbow, a bully advocacy group.
