H.R. 1810

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1810 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1810

To address and take action to prevent bullying and harassment of 
students.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

March 3, 2025

Ms. Sanchez (for herself, Mr. Takano, Mr. Beyer, Mr. Mrvan, Mrs. Watson 
Coleman, Mr. Mullin, Ms. Moore of Wisconsin, Ms. Garcia of Texas, Ms. 
DelBene, Mr. Peters, Ms. Scanlon, Ms. Lee of Pennsylvania, Mr. Davis of 
Illinois, Mr. Lynch, Ms. Tokuda, Ms. Sewell, Mr. Torres of New York, 
Mr. Costa, Ms. Norton, Mr. Casten, Ms. Matsui, Mrs. Ramirez, Mr. 
Espaillat, Ms. Clarke of New York, Mr. Pocan, Mrs. McBath, Mr. Boyle of 
Pennsylvania, Ms. Schakowsky, Mr. Casar, Mr. Vargas, Mr. Moulton, Ms. 
Craig, Ms. Pingree, Ms. Bonamici, Mr. Garcia of California, Ms. 
Wasserman Schultz, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Mr. Krishnamoorthi, Ms. 
Brownley, Ms. Barragan, Mr. Sherman, Mr. Carter of Louisiana, Mrs. 
Torres of California, Ms. Chu, Ms. Strickland, Mr. Keating, Mr. Evans 
of Pennsylvania, Ms. Davids of Kansas, Mr. Garcia of Illinois, Mrs. 
Fletcher, Ms. DeGette, Ms. Titus, Mr. Cisneros, Mr. Amo, Mr. Frost, Mr. 
Quigley, Ms. Crockett, Mr. Panetta, Mr. Huffman, Mr. Mfume, Mr. 
Grijalva, Mr. Connolly, Ms. Castor of Florida, Ms. Friedman, Mr. 
Swalwell, Mr. Ruiz, Ms. Omar, Mrs. Cherfilus-McCormick, Mr. Carbajal, 
Ms. Jacobs, Mr. Garamendi, Mr. Gomez, and Mr. Sorensen) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and 
Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To address and take action to prevent bullying and harassment of 
students.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Safe Schools Improvement Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

Congress finds the following:
(1) Bullying and harassment foster a climate of fear and 
disrespect that can seriously impair the physical and 
psychological health of its victims and create conditions that 
negatively affect learning, thereby undermining the ability of 
students to achieve their full potential.
(2) Bullying and harassment contribute to high dropout 
rates, increased absenteeism, and academic underachievement.
(3) Bullying and harassment include a range of behaviors 
that negatively impact a student's ability to learn and 
participate in educational opportunities and activities that 
schools offer. Such behaviors can include hitting or punching, 
name-calling, intimidation through gestures or social 
exclusion, and sending insulting or offensive messages through 
electronic communications, such as internet sites, e-mail, 
instant messaging, mobile phones and messaging, telephone, or 
any other means.
(4) Schools with enumerated anti-bullying and harassment 
policies have an increased level of reporting and teacher 
intervention in incidents of bullying and harassment, thereby 
reducing the overall frequency and number of such incidents.
(5) Students have been particularly singled out for 
bullying and harassment on the basis of their actual or 
perceived race, color, national origin, sex, disability status, 
sexual orientation, gender identity, sex characteristics 
(including intersex traits), or religion, among other 
categories.
(6) Some young people experience a form of bullying called 
relational aggression or psychological bullying, which harms 
individuals by damaging, threatening, or manipulating their 
relationships with their peers, or by injuring their feelings 
of social acceptance.
(7) Interventions to address bullying and harassment should 
incorporate evidence-based discipline policies and practices, 
such as Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) and 
other restorative practices that can minimize suspensions, 
expulsions, and other exclusionary and harmful discipline 
policies to ensure that students are not ``pushed-out'' or 
diverted to the juvenile justice system.
(8) Perpetrators of bullying and harassment often have a 
history of trauma or psychological distress, or have been 
bullied themselves. These students, often discussed as ``bully-
victims'', require additional trauma-informed interventions and 
consideration.

SEC. 3. SAFE SCHOOLS IMPROVEMENT.

(a) In General.--Title IV of the Elementary and Secondary Education 
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end 
the following:

``PART G--SAFE SCHOOLS IMPROVEMENT

``SEC. 4701. PURPOSE.

``The purpose of this part is to address the problem of bullying 
and harassment conduct of students in public elementary schools and 
secondary schools.

``SEC. 4702. ANTI-BULLYING POLICIES.

``(a) Bullying.--In this part, the term `bullying' means conduct 
that adversely affects the ability of one or more students to 
participate in or benefit from the school's educational programs or 
activities by placing a student in fear of harm.
``(b) Policies.--A State that receives a grant under this title 
shall require all local educational agencies in the State to carry out 
the following:
``(1) Establish policies that prevent and prohibit conduct, 
including bullying and harassment, that--
``(A) limits a student's ability to participate in, 
or benefit from, a program or activity of a public 
school or local educational agency; or
``(B) creates a hostile or abusive educational 
environment, adversely affecting a student's education, 
at a program or activity of a public school or local 
educational agency, including acts of verbal, 
nonverbal, or physical aggression or intimidation.
``(2) The policies required under paragraph (1) shall 
include a prohibition of bullying or harassment conduct based 
on--
``(A) a student's actual or perceived race, color, 
national origin, sex (including sexual orientation, 
gender identity, and sex characteristics (including 
intersex traits)), disability, or religion;
``(B) the actual or perceived race, color, national 
origin, sex (including sexual orientation, gender 
identity, and sex characteristics (including intersex 
traits)), disability, or religion of a person with whom 
a student associates or has associated; or
``(C) any other distinguishing characteristics that 
may be defined by the State or local educational 
agency.
``(3) Provide--
``(A) annual notice to students, parents, and 
educational professionals describing the full range of 
prohibited conduct contained in such local educational 
agency's discipline policies; and
``(B) grievance procedures for students or parents 
to register complaints regarding the prohibited conduct 
contained in such local educational agency's discipline 
policies, including--
``(i) the name of the local educational 
agency officials who are designated as 
responsible for receiving such complaints; and
``(ii) timelines that the local educational 
agency will establish in the resolution of such 
complaints.
``(4) Collect annual incidence and frequency of incidents 
data about the conduct prohibited by the policies described in 
paragraph (1) at the school level that are accurate and 
complete and publicly report such data at the school level and 
local educational agency level. The local educational agency 
shall ensure that victims or persons responsible for such 
conduct are not identifiable.

``SEC. 4703. STATE REPORTS.

``The chief executive officer of a State that receives a grant 
under this title, in cooperation with the State educational agency, 
shall submit a biennial report to the Secretary--
``(1) on the information reported by local educational 
agencies in the State pursuant to section 4702(b)(4); and
``(2) describing the State's plans for supporting local 
educational agency efforts to address the conduct prohibited by 
the policies described in section 4702(b)(1).

``SEC. 4704. EVALUATION.

``(a) Biennial Evaluation.--The Secretary shall conduct an 
independent biennial evaluation of programs and policies to combat 
bullying and harassment in elementary schools and secondary schools, 
including implementation of the requirements described in section 4702, 
including whether such requirements have appreciably reduced the level 
of the prohibited conduct and have conducted effective parent 
involvement and training programs.
``(b) Data Collection.--The Commissioner for Education Statistics 
shall collect data from States, that are subject to independent review, 
to determine the incidence and frequency of conduct prohibited by the 
policies described in section 4702.
``(c) Biennial Report.--Not later than January 1, 2026, and every 2 
years thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to the President and 
Congress a report on the findings of the evaluation conducted under 
subsection (a) together with the data collected under subsection (b) 
and data submitted by the States under section 4703.

``SEC. 4705. EFFECT ON OTHER LAWS.

``(a) Federal and State Nondiscrimination Laws.--Nothing in this 
part shall be construed to invalidate or limit rights, remedies, 
procedures, or legal standards available to victims of discrimination 
under any other Federal law or law of a State or political subdivision 
of a State, including title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 
U.S.C. 2000d et seq.), title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (20 
U.S.C. 1681 et seq.), section 504 or 505 of the Rehabilitation Act of 
1973 (29 U.S.C. 794, 794a), or the Americans with Disabilities Act of 
1990 (42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq.). The obligations imposed by this part 
are in addition to those imposed by title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 
1964 (42 U.S.C. 2000d et seq.), title IX of the Education Amendments of 
1972 (20 U.S.C. 1681 et seq.), section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 
1973 (29 U.S.C. 794), and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 
(42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq.).
``(b) Free Speech and Expression Laws.--Nothing in this part shall 
be construed to alter legal standards regarding, or affect the rights 
(including remedies and procedures) available to individuals under, 
other Federal laws that establish protections for freedom of speech or 
expression.

``SEC. 4706. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.

``Nothing in this part shall be construed to prohibit a State or 
local entity from enacting any law with respect to the prevention of 
bullying or harassment of students that is not inconsistent with this 
part.''.
(b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents in section 2 of the 
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 is amended by inserting 
after the item relating to section 4644 the following:

``Part G--Safe Schools Improvement

``Sec. 4701. Purpose.
``Sec. 4702. Anti-bullying policies.
``Sec. 4703. State reports.
``Sec. 4704. Evaluation.
``Sec. 4705. Effect on other laws.
``Sec. 4706. Rule of construction.''.
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