Public Act No. 19-166 Summary

• Establishes a social and emotional learning and school climate advisory collaborative with representatives from education associations, parent advocacy groups, mental health organizations, and state agencies to develop policies and resources for improving school climates.

• Requires the collaborative to develop a model positive school climate policy by January 1, 2020, a suicide risk screening assessment by July 1, 2020, and a biennial statewide school climate survey by July 1, 2021.

• Expands the definition of "bullying" to include direct or indirect acts that are severe, persistent or pervasive and cause harm, place individuals in fear, or infringe on rights, with protections for students based on actual or perceived characteristics including race, gender, sexual orientation, disability, and socioeconomic status.

• Requires each local and regional board of education to develop and implement a safe school climate plan addressing bullying and teen dating violence, including anonymous reporting procedures, investigation protocols, parent notifications within 48 hours, and documented interventions.

• Directs school districts to publish plain language explanations of student rights and remedies under anti-bullying and anti-discrimination laws on their websites by June 30, 2021, and provide training materials to administrators on preventing discrimination and targeted harassment.