HB 5145 Summary

• Eliminates the requirement for schools to annually report verified bullying incidents to the Department of Education, though schools must still maintain lists available for public inspection.

• Requires local and regional boards of education to develop safe school climate plans addressing bullying and teen dating violence with anonymous student reporting and parent complaint procedures.

• Mandates school employees report bullying to safe school climate specialists within one school day orally and file written reports within two school days.

• Requires schools to notify parents of bullying victims and perpetrators within 48 hours of investigation completion and hold separate meetings with each group to discuss safety measures and interventions.

• Effective dates: Section 1 and 3 take effect July 1, 2020; Section 2 takes effect July 1, 2021.