Senate approves statewide bullying-and-hazing policy request for schools

SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Senate on March 4 passed First Substitute House Bill 325, a bill asking the State Board of Education to develop a model bullying, hazing and retaliation policy and requiring local school and charter boards to adopt that model within one year.

Senator [Greiner] introduced the measure as a policy request rather than a criminal statute, saying the bill "is just asking for a policy" and contains no penalties. Greiner told the floor the bill requires the state board to develop a model policy by Sept. 1 and asks local boards to adopt it by Sept. 1, 2009. The measure also includes training and prevention language for districts and charter schools.

Senator Jenkins offered an amendment (Amendment No. 2) to remove the bill's mandatory reporting provision for school employees, arguing that the requirement would create an unfunded mandate and could force reports of minor or resolved incidents. "Teachers regularly tell us that the one thing they don't want is more reports," Senator Dayton said in support of the amendment. Opponents, including Senator Greiner, described reporting as analogous to reporting other school incidents and argued it brings concerns to the attention of appropriate officials.

The body voted to adopt the amendment, thereby eliminating the explicit mandatory reporting lines while keeping a requirement that criminal acts be promptly reported to law enforcement. The amended bill then was read for second and third times under suspension of the rules and passed in a roll-call vote, receiving 25 yes votes, 2 no votes and 2 absences.

The bill will be referred back to the House for further consideration in light of the Senate amendment. It aims to provide districts with a consistent policy framework and to encourage reporting and prevention without imposing new criminal penalties or punitive employment sanctions on staff.