The bill requires that a report received by a public school that
enrolls students in any of grades kindergarten through 12 (public school) that alleges harassment or discrimination is confidential. The bill requires a public school to:
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Accept reports of harassment or discrimination in writing or in-person; by phone, e-mail, or online form; or through safe2tell;
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Post notices describing how a student can report harassment or discrimination to the school;
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Adopt procedures for investigating reports of harassment or discrimination;
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Retain harassment or discrimination case files for 7 years;
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Grant an excused absence to a student for certain out-of-school appointments related to the student experiencing harassment or discrimination; and
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Provide accommodations and supportive measures to a student experiencing harassment or discrimination.
The bill requires a public school to adopt a written policy (policy)
that protects students experiencing harassment or discrimination. The policy must include the following:
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Information on reporting options for students, including contact information for the school staff member designated to receive reports;
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An explanation of the school's role in responding to reports of harassment or discrimination;
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Information about resources for victims of gender-based violence and sexual violence;
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Amnesty protections for a student who reports, or is a witness to a report of, harassment or discrimination for any school policy violation by the student related to the harassment or discrimination; and
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Information about available accommodations and supportive measures.
A public school shall make the policy available annually to
students, students' parents and legal guardians, and school staff.
The bill requires a public school to annually provide training to
school staff about harassment and discrimination, including training about the school's policy.
The bill requires public schools to report information about
harassment or discrimination to school districts, who report that information to the department of education (department). An institute charter school reports the information directly to the department. The department reports the information to the sexual misconduct advisory committee in the department of higher education.
The bill waives immunity for a public entity for a failure to comply
with any requirement concerning harassment or discrimination in public schools described in the bill.
