HB21-1221: Jack and Cait's Law

• Department of Education must research bullying prevention approaches and develop a model policy, updated every three years with stakeholder participation including parents of bullied students.

• Model policy must clearly differentiate between conflict and bullying, and between harassment and bullying, and must clarify cyberbullying's role during online instruction on or off school property.

• School districts must ensure their bullying prevention policies incorporate biennial student surveys on bullying severity and designate a team to advise administration on bullying incidents and severity.

• Schools must report bullying violations separately as a distinct category in their annual conduct and discipline code violation reports to the Department of Education, rather than grouping them with other harmful behavior.

• School districts must reference approaches, policies, and practices outlined in the state's model bullying prevention and education policy when developing their own bullying prevention requirements.