HB 1259 Summary

• Department of Education must develop guidelines in consultation with school safety specialists and counselors to assist school corporations in establishing bullying prevention programs and investigation/reporting procedures.

• Modifies the definition of "bullying" to include communications transmitted digitally or electronically and requires the conduct create an objectively hostile school environment causing reasonable fear of harm, detrimental health effects, interference with academic performance, or interference with participation in school activities.

• Each school corporation must include number and nature of bullying incidents in annual performance reports and include detailed investigation procedures, reporting timelines, anonymous reporting options, and follow-up services for victims and bullying education for perpetrators in discipline rules.

• Each public school must provide age-appropriate bullying prevention instruction to all students in grades 1-12 by October 15 annually, with instruction delivered by trained school personnel.

• State educational institutions (Ball State, Indiana University, Indiana State, Purdue, and University of Southern Indiana) must include anti-bullying policies in their conduct regulations if they choose to govern student, faculty, and employee conduct on institutional property.