House File 2227 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 2227 BY HUNTER A BILL FOR An Act relating to state and school antiharassment and 1 antibullying policies, providing for a harassment 2 and bullying investigation specialist, and making an 3 appropriation. 4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 5 TLSB 5915YH (2) 85 je/rj

H.F. 2227 Section 1. NEW SECTION . 256.34 Harassment and bullying 1 investigation specialist —— appropriation. 2 1. For purposes of this section, “harassment” and “bullying” 3 mean the same as defined in section 280.28. 4 2. The department shall employ a harassment and bullying 5 investigation specialist who shall develop in-person training, 6 materials, and other tools to prevent and respond appropriately 7 to harassment and bullying in public and nonpublic schools. 8 3. For the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2014, and ending 9 June 30, 2015, and for each succeeding fiscal year, there 10 is appropriated from the general fund of the state to the 11 department the sum of five hundred thousand dollars, for 12 purposes of this section. 13 Sec. 2. Section 280.28, subsection 2, paragraph a, Code 14 2014, is amended to read as follows: 15 a. “Electronic” means any communication involving the 16 transmission of information by wire, radio, optical cable, 17 electromagnetic, or other similar means. “Electronic” includes 18 but is not limited to communication via electronic mail, 19 internet-based communications including social networking 20 sites , pager service, cell phones, and electronic text 21 messaging , or any other electronic communication site, device, 22 or means . 23 Sec. 3. Section 280.28, subsection 3, paragraph a, 24 subparagraph (1), Code 2014, is amended to read as follows: 25 (1) School employees, volunteers, and students in 26 school, on school property, or at any school function or 27 school-sponsored activity , or otherwise under the supervision, 28 care, or control of the school shall not engage in harassing 29 and bullying behavior against students . 30 Sec. 4. Section 280.28, subsection 3, paragraph g, Code 31 2014, is amended to read as follows: 32 g. A statement of the manner in which the policy and 33 complaint process will be publicized. 34 Sec. 5. Section 280.28, subsection 7, Code 2014, is amended 35 -1- LSB 5915YH (2) 85 je/rj 1/ 3

H.F. 2227 to read as follows: 1 7. Integration of policy and reporting. The board of 2 directors of a school district and the authorities in charge of 3 each nonpublic school shall integrate its antiharassment and 4 antibullying policy into the comprehensive school improvement 5 plan required under section 256.7, subsection 21 , and shall 6 report data collected under subsection 6 , as specified by the 7 following to the department , to and the local community . : 8 a. Data collected under subsection 6, as specified by the 9 department. 10 b. The process used for filing complaints, including the 11 location of online or other complaint forms. 12 c. Antiharassment and antibullying training completed by 13 school employees, volunteers, and students during each school 14 year. 15 Sec. 6. Section 280.28, Code 2014, is amended by adding the 16 following new subsection: 17 NEW SUBSECTION . 9. Rulemaking authority. The department of 18 education may adopt rules necessary to administer this section 19 in a uniform manner throughout the state. 20 EXPLANATION 21 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 22 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 23 This bill requires the department of education to employ a 24 harassment and bullying investigation specialist and provides 25 duties for the specialist. The bill appropriates $500,000 to 26 the department for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2014, and 27 ending June 30, 2015, and for each succeeding fiscal year for 28 this purpose. 29 The bill also makes various modifications to Code section 30 280.28, the state law relating to school antiharassment and 31 antibullying policies. 32 The bill modifies the definition of “electronic” by adding 33 any other electronic communication site, device, or means to 34 the definition and by including social networking sites as part 35 -2- LSB 5915YH (2) 85 je/rj 2/ 3

H.F. 2227 of the term “internet-based communications”. 1 Current law requires that school antiharassment and 2 antibullying policies prohibit harassment and bullying behavior 3 by school employees, volunteers, and students in school, on 4 school property, or at any school function or school-sponsored 5 activity. The bill requires that such policies also prohibit 6 harassment and bullying behavior by school employees, 7 volunteers, and students otherwise under the supervision, care, 8 or control of the school. 9 The bill requires such policies to include a statement of 10 the manner in which the complaint process for incidents of 11 harassment or bullying will be publicized. 12 The bill modifies data reporting requirements for schools 13 by requiring the board of directors of a school district and 14 the authorities in charge of each nonpublic school to report 15 certain additional information to the department and the local 16 community. 17 The bill permits the department to adopt rules necessary to 18 administer Code section 280.28 in a uniform manner throughout 19 the state. 20 -3- LSB 5915YH (2) 85 je/rj 3/ 3