Bill > HB351

This bill, known as the "Missouri Childhood Hero Act", establishes comprehensive anti-bullying requirements for school districts and charter schools in Missouri. The bill defines bullying as repetitive or likely-to-be-repeated behavior that causes a student to fear for their safety, interferes with educational performance, or disrupts school operations, including physical, verbal, cyberbullying, and electronic communication. It mandates that each school district develop an antibullying policy that treats all students equally, without singling out specific protected classes, and includes key components such as a clear bullying prohibition, requirements for employee reporting, procedures for investigating bullying incidents, and protections against retaliation. The policy must also include provisions for training school staff, educating students about bullying, and providing support for both victims and students who commit bullying. Notably, the bill requires monthly reporting of bullying incidents to the school board, provides legal protections for school employees who intervene in bullying situations, and clarifies that schools cannot be civilly liable for good-faith disciplinary actions. The bill also emphasizes that bullying incidents may be considered potential child abuse and requires careful documentation and investigation of all reported incidents.

https://house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?bill=HB351&year=2025&code=R