Bill > SB982

This bill amends Pennsylvania's education laws to establish comprehensive guidelines for preventing and responding to bullying and cyberbullying in K-12 schools. The legislation requires school entities (including public school districts, charter schools, and technical schools) to adopt policies that prohibit bullying, provide confidential reporting procedures, notify parents within 24 hours of confirmed incidents, investigate reports within three school days, designate a bullying response coordinator, and provide age-appropriate bullying prevention instruction. Schools must also conduct staff training on bullying prevention and submit anonymized annual data on bullying incidents through the Safe2Say Program, a existing reporting system. The bill defines bullying as intentional acts that substantially interfere with a student's education, create a threatening environment, or disrupt school operations, and includes cyberbullying conducted through electronic communication. The legislation emphasizes that it does not require new funding or personnel, does not alter child protection requirements, and protects constitutionally protected speech. The bill aims to improve school safety by creating a standardized approach to identifying, reporting, and addressing bullying while ensuring student privacy and equal protection under the law.

Education

https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billinfo/bill_history.cfm?syear=2025&sind=0&body=S&type=B&bn=982