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Committee approves SB 223 to tighten school bullying definition and reporting
Summary
The House Education Committee unanimously recommended SB 223, which narrows and clarifies the statutory definition of bullying to align with common usage (intent to harm, repeated conduct, imbalance of power and impact on access to education) and to reduce inconsistent reporting across districts.
Senate Bill 223 (public education bullying amendments) passed the House Education Committee unanimously after sponsor testimony and supporting comments from district legal staff.
The sponsor said the current statutory definition had become "wordy and overcomplicates what bullying is," and that inconsistent application across districts made some districts appear to have higher rates while others appeared to have none. The proposed definition focuses on conduct that is intended to harm, repeated over time, involving an imbalance of power and that impacts a student's access to education.
Ben Horsley, superintendent of Granite School District, and other district legal officers told the committee the clearer definition would reduce misclassification of ordinary teasing, peer conflict, horseplay, coaching or teacher correction as bullying and would improve the accuracy of public reporting. Representative Peterson moved the committee to favorably recommend SB 223, and the chair announced the motion passed unanimously.
