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Senate extends anti-bullying law to nonpublic schools with Jack Reed legislation
Summary
The Senate passed the "Jack Reed Protect All Students Act," extending Dignity for All Students Act-like protections to nonpublic schools, requiring anti-bullying policies, investigations and protections against retaliation; recorded vote showed Ayes 55, Nays 4.
The Senate adopted the Jack Reed Protect All Students Act on June 11, 2025, extending many elements of the Dignity for All Students Act (DASA) to nonpublic (private) schools. Sponsors and several members described the bill as expanding baseline protections for students in nonpublic schools and requiring written anti-bullying policies and procedures.
Senator Mayer, sponsor for the floor, said the bill requires nonpublic schools to develop and implement policies to prohibit harassment and bullying, promptly investigate complaints, take steps reasonably calculated to protect students and prevent retaliation for reporting. "This bill extends many of the protections of DASA to nonpublic schools," the sponsor told the floor, invoking the memory of Jack Reed and the family advocacy that led to the measure.
Nut graf: Supporters framed the bill as creating parity between public and nonpublic school students for anti-bullying protections; senators described broad cooperation with nonpublic-school leaders during the measure’s drafting. The Senate roll-call recorded the result as Ayes 55, Nays 4; sponsors urged swift enactment.
Multiple senators spoke on the floor in favor, citing constituent cases and advocacy by families who lost children to bullying-related tragedies. Senator Holman Siegel credited parents Elizabeth and Bill Reed for their advocacy on behalf of their son Jack, whose death has been central to the law’s naming.
What passed: The bill obligates nonpublic schools to adopt anti-bullying policies, investigate complaints, and protect students from retaliation; it aligns procedures used in public schools under DASA with analogous nonpublic-school processes. Detailed procedural requirements and timelines will be implemented through education-department guidance if the law becomes final.
Why it matters: Extending anti-bullying safeguards to all students narrows a regulatory gap between public and nonpublic schools and may change compliance and reporting practices at nonpublic institutions across the state.
What’s next: With Senate passage the measure moves forward to further legislative steps and, if enacted, school-level policy changes and reporting will follow.
