House committee reviews bill to expand Vermont advisory council on harassment, hazing and bullying

Representative Bridal Minier, sponsor of H.130, introduced the bill to the House Education Committee on Feb. 18, 2025, saying the measure would expand the membership and duties of the Advisory Council on Harassment, Hazing, and Bullying Prevention in Schools.

H.130 would add student, parent and advocacy-group representatives to the council, require it to meet at least four times (and not more than 12 times) a year, and direct it to submit an annual report to the Legislature and the State Board of Education. "Here to talk about H130, which seeks to expand the membership and the duties of the Advisory Council on Harassment, Hazing, and Bullying Prevention in Schools," Representative Minier said during her remarks.

The committee’s legislative counsel, identified in the meeting as St. James of the Office of Legislative Counsel, walked members through the bill’s draft language and how to read edits in the text. "Any language that you see that is not underlined or struck through is current law," St. James said. St. James explained the bill proposes to remove the current, short membership list and replace it with a longer, specified membership including representatives from the Vermont Principals Association, the School Board Association, the Superintendents Association, NEA, the Human Rights Commission, independent schools, the Vermont Coalition for Disability Rights, student organizations (including the Vermont Student Anti-Racism Network and the Education Justice Coalition of Vermont), Outright Vermont, the Commission on Women, the Office of Racial Equity, the Vermont Network Against Domestic and [censored] Violence, the Vermont State Athletic Directors Association, the National Association of Social Workers, and a parent member.

Under the bill, the council would review the model harassment, hazing and bullying prevention policy every two years beginning in 2025; generate and distribute resources for school professionals (including guidance on reentry to educational spaces, restorative practices, and differentiated responses for students with disabilities); annually solicit input from students, parents and schools; and recommend legislative changes as needed. The bill also requires the council to provide a report "on or before January 15 every year" summarizing the prior year's activities, solicited input, resource needs and recommended legislative changes, and to hold a joint legislative hearing with the Senate each year to review the report.

Members asked practical questions during the walk-through. One committee member asked why the bill caps meetings at 12 per year; Representative Minier said the upper limit was standard language intended to avoid open-ended costs. A different member asked about implementation and data: Minier said she hopes the expanded council would improve collection and centralization of incident data so the state can better measure whether school climate is improving. Committee members also requested a cost estimate for per diems and administrative support; St. James and others noted that per diem minimums are governed by statute (committee discussion referenced 32 V.S.A. §1010 and a $50-per-day figure) and that the Agency of Education would provide administrative support if the bill advances.

Committee materials and the sponsor’s remarks noted historical context: the advisory council was created in 2012 and the model HHB policy was last substantially reviewed around 2016, and committee members said the council has not met regularly in recent years. Representative Minier said the bill builds on earlier legislative efforts, including last session’s attempt to change harassment definitions, and on recommendations from advocacy groups such as the Vermont Network Against Domestic and [censored] Violence and Outright Vermont.

No committee vote or formal action on H.130 was recorded in the transcript. Committee members indicated next steps would include seeking testimony (for example, from the secretary of education or current council members), and obtaining cost estimates and any drafting changes the committee wishes to make before further consideration.