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House committee approves statewide bullying definition after amendment
Summary
Senate Bill 15-08, which seeks a statewide definition of bullying covering physical and virtual conduct, advanced with a floor amendment adopted in committee. Supporters said standardization is needed; some school-district representatives and members objected to preemption of local policy.
The Committee of the Whole voted to forward Senate Bill 15-08, as amended, with a do-pass recommendation on April 1. The legislation would establish a statewide definition of bullying that covers both physical and virtual conduct.
Representative Gress moved the Grama floor amendment to SB 15-08 and urged colleagues to adopt the amendment. He said the measure "will provide a statewide definition of bullying" to harmonize differing local approaches. Supporters argued that a single definition would help children and families by clarifying what constitutes bullying.
Several members raised concerns about preemption. Representative Garcia said while she agreed with reducing bullying, the bill "will effectively supersede the work that many of our school districts, including the one that I used to serve on, that have updated their own discipline matrix" and urged a no vote. Representative Simichek, also a former school-board member, said communities should be able to adopt policies tailored to local needs and urged opposition to statewide preemption.
The committee adopted the floor amendment and then gave SB 15-08, as amended, a do-pass recommendation. The bill was placed on the House calendar for third reading.
No roll-call tally was recorded in the transcript for the amendment or the committee recommendation; the chair declared the ayes to have it.
