SCHOOLS - BULLYING - Amends and adds to existing law to provide that superintendents and principals may temporarily suspend pupils for student harassment, intimidation or bullying; to provide additional powers and duties for boards of trustees; and to provide that any student who commits or conspires to commit an act of harassment, intimidation or bullying may be guilty of an infraction.

                                   BY EDUCATION COMMITTEE

  1                                        AN ACT
  2    RELATING TO STUDENT HARASSMENT, INTIMIDATION AND  BULLYING;  AMENDING  SECTION
  3        33-205,  IDAHO  CODE,  TO  PROVIDE THAT SUPERINTENDENTS AND PRINCIPALS MAY
  4        TEMPORARILY  SUSPEND  PUPILS  FOR  STUDENT  HARASSMENT,  INTIMIDATION   OR
  5        BULLYING;  AMENDING  SECTION  33-512,  IDAHO  CODE,  TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL
  6        POWERS AND DUTIES FOR BOARDS OF TRUSTEES; AND AMENDING  CHAPTER  9,  TITLE
  7        18,  IDAHO  CODE, BY THE ADDITION OF A NEW SECTION 18-917A, IDAHO CODE, TO
  8        PROHIBIT STUDENT HARASSMENT, INTIMIDATION OR BULLYING OF ANOTHER  STUDENT,
  9        TO  DEFINE  TERMS AND TO PROVIDE THAT ANY STUDENT WHO COMMITS OR CONSPIRES
 10        TO COMMIT AN ACT OF HARASSMENT, INTIMIDATION OR BULLYING MAY BE GUILTY  OF
 11        AN INFRACTION.

 12    Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Idaho:

 13        SECTION  1.  That  Section  33-205, Idaho Code, be, and the same is hereby
 14    amended to read as follows:

 15        33-205.  DENIAL OF SCHOOL ATTENDANCE.  The  board  of  trustees  may  deny
 16    enrollment,  or may deny attendance at any of its schools by expulsion, to any
 17    pupil who is an habitual truant, or who is incorrigible, or whose conduct,  in
 18    the  judgment of the board, is such as to be continuously disruptive of school
 19    discipline, or of the instructional effectiveness  of  the  school,  or  whose
 20    presence  in  a public school is detrimental to the health and safety of other
 21    pupils, or who has been expelled from another school district in this state or
 22    any other state. Any pupil having been denied enrollment or  expelled  may  be
 23    enrolled  or  readmitted to the school by the board of trustees upon such rea-
 24    sonable conditions as may be prescribed by the board; but such  enrollment  or
 25    readmission  shall  not  prevent the board from again expelling such pupil for
 26    cause.
 27        Provided however, the board shall expel from school for a  period  of  not
 28    less  than  one  (1) year, twelve (12) calendar months, or may deny enrollment
 29    to, a student who has been found to have carried a weapon or firearm on school
 30    property in this state or any other state, except that the  board  may  modify
 31    the  expulsion  or  denial of enrollment order on a case-by-case basis. Disci-
 32    pline of students with disabilities shall be in accordance with  the  require-
 33    ments of federal law part B of the individuals with disabilities education act
 34    and section 504 of the rehabilitation act. An authorized representative of the
 35    board  shall  report such student and incident to the appropriate law enforce-
 36    ment agency.
 37        No pupil shall be expelled nor denied  enrollment  without  the  board  of
 38    trustees  having  first  given written notice to the parent or guardian of the
 39    pupil, which notice shall state the grounds  for  the  proposed  expulsion  or
 40    denial  of enrollment and the time and place where such parent or guardian may
 41    appear to contest the action of the board to deny school attendance, and which
 42    notice shall also state the rights of the pupil to be represented by  counsel,
 43    to produce witnesses and submit evidence on his own behalf, and to cross-exam-

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  1    ine any adult witnesses who may appear against him. Within a reasonable period
  2    of  time  following  such  notification, the board of trustees shall grant the
  3    pupil and his parents or guardian a full and  fair  hearing  on  the  proposed
  4    expulsion or denial of enrollment. However, the board shall allow a reasonable
  5    period  of  time  between such notification and the holding of such hearing to
  6    allow the pupil and his parents or guardian to prepare their response  to  the
  7    charge.  Any  pupil  who  is  within  the age of compulsory attendance, who is
  8    expelled or denied enrollment as herein provided,  shall come under  the  pur-
  9    view  of the juvenile corrections act, and an authorized representative of the
 10    board shall, within five (5) days, give written notice of the  pupil's  expul-
 11    sion to the prosecuting attorney of the county of the pupil's residence.
 12        The superintendent of any district or the principal of any school may tem-
 13    porarily suspend any pupil for disciplinary reasons, including student harass-
 14    ment,  intimidation or bullying, or for other conduct disruptive of good order
 15    or of the instructional effectiveness of the school. A temporary suspension by
 16    the principal shall not exceed five (5) school days in length; and the  school
 17    superintendent  may  extend  the  temporary  suspension an additional ten (10)
 18    school days. Provided, that on a finding by the board of trustees that immedi-
 19    ate return to school attendance by the temporarily suspended student would  be
 20    detrimental  to other pupils' health, welfare or safety, the board of trustees
 21    may extend the temporary suspension for an additional five  (5)  school  days.
 22    Prior  to  suspending any student, the superintendent or principal shall grant
 23    an informal hearing on the reasons for the suspension and the  opportunity  to
 24    challenge those reasons. Any pupil who has been suspended may be readmitted to
 25    the school by the superintendent or principal who suspended him upon such rea-
 26    sonable  conditions  as  said  superintendent  or principal may prescribe. The
 27    board of trustees shall be notified of any temporary suspensions, the  reasons
 28    therefor, and the response, if any, thereto.
 29        The  board  of trustees of each school district shall establish the proce-
 30    dure to be followed by the superintendent and principals under  its  jurisdic-
 31    tion for the purpose of effecting a temporary suspension, which procedure must
 32    conform to the minimal requirements of due process.

 33        SECTION  2.  That  Section  33-512, Idaho Code, be, and the same is hereby
 34    amended to read as follows:

 35        33-512.  GOVERNANCE OF SCHOOLS. The board of trustees of each school  dis-
 36    trict shall have the following powers and duties:
 37        1.  To  fix  the  days  of  the year and the hours of the day when schools
 38    shall be in session. However:
 39        (a)  Each school district shall annually adopt and implement a school cal-
 40        endar which provides its students at each grade level with  the  following
 41        minimum number of instructional hours:

 42                      Grades                             Hours
 43                       9-12                               990
 44                       4-8                                900
 45                       1-3                                810
 46                       K                                  450
 47        (b)  School  assemblies, testing and other instructionally related activi-
 48        ties involving students directly may be included in the required  instruc-
 49        tional hours.
 50        (c)  When  approved  by  a  local  school board, annual instructional hour
 51        requirements stated in paragraph (a) may be reduced as follows:
 52             (i)   Up to a total of twenty-two (22)  hours  to  accommodate  staff

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  1             development  activities  conducted  on  such days as the local school
  2             board deems appropriate.
  3             (ii)  Up to a total of eleven (11) hours of emergency school closures
  4             due to adverse weather conditions and facility failures.
  5        However, transportation to and from school, passing times between classes,
  6        recess and lunch periods shall not be included.
  7        (d)  Student and staff activities related to the opening  and  closing  of
  8        the  school  year,  grade reporting, program planning, staff meetings, and
  9        other classroom and building management activities shall not be counted as
 10        instructional time or in the reductions provided in  paragraph  (c)(i)  of
 11        this section.
 12        (e)  For  multiple  shift programs, this rule applies to each shift (i.e.,
 13        each student must have access to the  minimum  annual  required  hours  of
 14        instructions).
 15        (f)  The  instructional  time  requirement  for  grade  12 students may be
 16        reduced by action of a local school board for an amount  of  time  not  to
 17        exceed eleven (11) hours of instructional time.
 18        (g)  The state superintendent of public instruction may grant an exemption
 19        from  the  provisions  of this section for an individual building within a
 20        district, when the closure of that building, for unforeseen circumstances,
 21        does not affect the attendance of other buildings within the district.
 22        2.  To adopt and carry on, and provide for the financing of, a total  edu-
 23    cational  program  for  the  district.  Such programs in other than elementary
 24    school districts may include education programs for  out-of-school  youth  and
 25    adults; and such districts may provide classes in kindergarten;
 26        3.  To  provide, or require pupils to be provided with, suitable textbooks
 27    and supplies, and for advice on textbook selections  may  appoint  a  textbook
 28    adoption committee as provided in section 33-512A, Idaho Code;
 29        4.  To protect the morals and health of the pupils;
 30        5.  To exclude from school, children not of school age;
 31        6.  To  prescribe  rules  for  the disciplining of unruly or insubordinate
 32    pupils, including rules on student harassment, intimidation and bullying, such
 33    rules to be included in a district discipline code adopted  by  the  board  of
 34    trustees  and  a  summarized  version thereof to be provided in writing at the
 35    beginning of each school year to the teachers and students in the district  in
 36    a  manner  consistent  with  the  student's  age,  grade and level of academic
 37    achievement;
 38        7.  To exclude from school, pupils with contagious or infectious  diseases
 39    who are diagnosed or suspected as having a contagious or infectious disease or
 40    those  who  are not immune and have been exposed to a contagious or infectious
 41    disease; and to close school on order of the state board of  health  or  local
 42    health authorities;
 43        8.  To equip and maintain a suitable library or libraries in the school or
 44    schools  and  to  exclude  therefrom, and from the schools, all books, tracts,
 45    papers, and catechisms of sectarian nature;
 46        9.  To determine school holidays. Any listing  of  school  holidays  shall
 47    include  not  less  than the following: New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Indepen-
 48    dence Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. Other days listed  in  section
 49    73-108, Idaho Code, if the same  shall fall on a school day, shall be observed
 50    with  appropriate  ceremonies;  and  any days the state board of education may
 51    designate, following the proclamation by the governor, shall be  school  holi-
 52    days;
 53        10. To erect and maintain on each schoolhouse or school grounds a suitable
 54    flagstaff  or  flagpole,  and display thereon the flag of the United States of
 55    America on all days, except during inclement weather, when the  school  is  in

                                           4

  1    session;  and  for each Veterans Day, each school in session shall conduct and
  2    observe an appropriate program of at least one (1)  class  period  remembering
  3    and honoring American veterans;
  4        11. To  prohibit  entrance  to each schoolhouse or school grounds, to pro-
  5    hibit loitering in schoolhouses or on school grounds and to  provide  for  the
  6    removal from each schoolhouse or school grounds of any individual or individu-
  7    als  who disrupt the educational processes or whose presence is detrimental to
  8    the morals, health, safety, academic learning or discipline of the  pupils.  A
  9    person  who  disrupts the educational process or whose presence is detrimental
 10    to the morals, health, safety, academic learning or discipline of  the  pupils
 11    or  who  loiters  in  schoolhouses or on school grounds, is guilty of a misde-
 12    meanor.
 13        12. To supervise and regulate,  including  by  contract  with  established
 14    entities,  those extracurricular activities which are by definition outside of
 15    or in addition to the regular academic  courses  or  curriculum  of  a  public
 16    school,  and  which extracurricular activities shall not be considered to be a
 17    property, liberty or contract right of any student, and  such  extracurricular
 18    activities  shall  not be deemed a necessary element of a public school educa-
 19    tion, but shall be considered to be a privilege.
 20        13. To govern the school district in compliance with state law  and  rules
 21    of the state board of education.
 22        14. To  submit  to the superintendent of public instruction not later than
 23    July 1 of each year documentation which meets the  reporting  requirements  of
 24    the  federal  gun-free  schools  act  of  1994 as contained within the federal
 25    improving America's schools act of 1994.
 26        15. To require that all persons hired for the first time by  the  district
 27    or who have been in the employ of the district five (5) years or less, undergo
 28    a  criminal  history check as provided in section 33-130, Idaho Code. All such
 29    employees who are required to undergo a criminal history  check  shall  obtain
 30    the  history  check  within  three  (3)  months of starting employment, or for
 31    employees with five (5) years or less with  the  district,  within  three  (3)
 32    months from the date such employee is notified that he must undergo a criminal
 33    history  check.  Such  employees  shall  pay  the cost of the criminal history
 34    check. If the criminal history check shows that the  employee  has  been  con-
 35    victed  of  a felony crime enumerated in section 33-1208, Idaho Code, it shall
 36    be grounds for immediate termination, dismissal or other personnel  action  of
 37    the  district,  except  that  it  shall be the right of the school district to
 38    evaluate whether an individual convicted of one (1) of these crimes and having
 39    been incarcerated for that crime shall be hired. The district may require  any
 40    or  all persons who have been employed continuously with the same district for
 41    more than five (5) years, to undergo a criminal history check as  provided  in
 42    section 33-130, Idaho Code. If the district elects to require criminal history
 43    checks  of  such  employees,  the district shall pay the costs of the criminal
 44    history check or reimburse employees for such cost. A substitute  teacher  who
 45    has  undergone  a criminal history check at the request of one (1) district in
 46    which he has been employed as a substitute shall not be required to undergo an
 47    additional criminal history check at the request  of  any  other  district  in
 48    which  he  is  employed as a substitute if the teacher has obtained a criminal
 49    history check within the previous three  (3)  years.   If  the  district  next
 50    employing  the  substitute  still  elects  to require another criminal history
 51    check within the  three (3) year period, that district shall pay the  cost  of
 52    the criminal history check or reimburse the substitute teacher for such cost.
 53        16. Each  board  of trustees of a school district shall be responsible for
 54    developing a system for registering volunteers or contractors consistent  with
 55    maintaining a safe environment for their students.

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  1        17. To  ensure  that  each  school district, including specially chartered
  2    school districts, participates in the  Idaho  student  information  management
  3    system  (ISIMS)  to the full extent of its availability. The terms "Idaho stu-
  4    dent information management system,"  "appropriate  access"  and  "real  time"
  5    shall  have  such  meanings as the terms are defined in section 33-1001, Idaho
  6    Code.
  7        18. To provide support for teachers in their first two (2)  years  in  the
  8    profession in the areas of: administrative and supervisory support, mentoring,
  9    peer assistance and professional development.

 10        SECTION  3.  That  Chapter  9,  Title  18, Idaho Code, be, and the same is
 11    hereby amended by the addition thereto of a NEW SECTION, to be known and  des-
 12    ignated as Section 18-917A, Idaho Code, and to read as follows:

 13        18-917A.  STUDENT  HARASSMENT  -- INTIMIDATION -- BULLYING. (1) No student
 14    shall intentionally commit, or conspire  to  commit,  an  act  of  harassment,
 15    intimidation or bullying against another student.
 16        (2)  As used in this section, "harassment, intimidation or bullying" means
 17    any intentional gesture, or any intentional written, verbal or physical act or
 18    threat by a student that:
 19        (a)  A reasonable person under the circumstances should know will have the
 20        effect of:
 21             (i)   Harming a student; or
 22             (ii)  Damaging a student's property; or
 23             (iii) Placing a student in reasonable fear of harm to his or her per-
 24             son; or
 25             (iv)  Placing  a  student  in reasonable fear of damage to his or her
 26             property; or
 27        (b)  Is sufficiently severe, persistent or pervasive that  it  creates  an
 28        intimidating,  threatening  or  abusive educational environment for a stu-
 29        dent.
 30        An act of harassment, intimidation  or  bullying  may  also  be  committed
 31    through the use of a land line, car phone or wireless telephone or through the
 32    use of data or computer software that is accessed through a computer, computer
 33    system, or computer network.
 34        (3)  A  student  who personally violates any provision of this section may
 35    be guilty of an infraction.

Statement of Purpose / Fiscal Impact
                       STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

                             RS 16106

This legislation relates to education; amending Title 33, Idaho Code, by the addition of a new Chapter 56, Title 33, Idaho Code, to provide legislative findings, to define acts of "harassment, intimidation or bullying," to provide for a policy prohibiting harassment, intimidation or bullying, to provide for immunity, to provide for training and education and to provide for liability; and amending section 18-917, Idaho Code, to provide that any student who commits or conspires to commit, an act of harassment, intimidation or bullying shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.

                           FISCAL NOTE

There will be no impact on the state General Fund.

Contact
Name: Representatives Tom Trail, Pete Nielsen
Phone: (208) 332-1000

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE/FISCAL NOTE                         H 750

02/28    House intro - 1st rdg - to printing
03/01    Rpt prt - to Educ
03/06    Rpt out - to Gen Ord
03/08    Rpt out amen - to engros
03/09    Rpt engros - 1st rdg - to 2nd rdg as amen
03/10    2nd rdg - to 3rd rdg as amen
03/13    3rd rdg as amen - PASSED - 64-0-6
      AYES -- Anderson, Andrus, Barraclough, Barrett, Bastian, Bedke,
      Bilbao, Black, Boe, Bolz, Brackett, Bradford, Cannon, Chadderdon,
      Clark, Collins, Denney, Edmunson, Ellsworth, Eskridge, Field(18),
      Field(23), Garrett, Hart, Harwood, Henbest, Henderson, Jaquet, Kemp,
      Lake, LeFavour, Loertscher, Martinez, Mathews, McGeachin, McKague,
      Miller, Mitchell, Moyle, Nielsen, Nonini, Pasley-Stuart, Pence,
      Raybould, Ringo, Roberts, Rusche, Rydalch, Sali, Sayler, Schaefer,
      Shepherd(2), Shepherd(8), Shirley, Skippen, Smith(30), Smith(24),
      Smylie, Snodgrass, Stevenson, Trail, Wills, Wood, Mr. Speaker
      NAYS -- None
      Absent and excused -- Bayer, Bell, Block, Crow, Deal, Ring
    Floor Sponsors - Trail & Nielsen
    Title apvd - to Senate
03/14    Senate intro - 1st rdg - to Educ
03/24    Rpt out - rec d/p - to 2nd rdg
03/27    2nd rdg - to 3rd rdg
03/28    3rd rdg - PASSED - 31-3-1
      AYES -- Andreason, Broadsword, Bunderson, Burkett(Clark), Burtenshaw,
      Cameron, Coiner, Compton, Corder, Darrington, Davis, Gannon, Geddes,
      Goedde, Hill, Jorgenson, Kelly, Keough, Langhorst, Little, Lodge,
      Malepeai, Marley, McGee, Pearce, Richardson, Schroeder, Stegner,
      Stennett, Werk, Williams
      NAYS -- Brandt, Fulcher, McKenzie
      Absent and excused -- Sweet
    Floor Sponsor - Jorgenson
    Title apvd - to House
03/29    To enrol
03/30    Rpt enrol - Sp signed
03/31    Pres signed - To Governor
03/31    Governor signed - Session Law Chapter 313 - Effective: 07/01/06

Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Idaho:

     WEREAS, the school shooting on April 20, 1999, at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, during which fifteen students and a teacher were killed and 23 other students were wounded, was an event set apart in our hearts and memories; and
     WHEREAS, it behooves each of us, as parents, students, educators and citizens to recognize the lessons to be learned from this tragedy and identify changes to prevent repetition; and
     WHEREAS, many organizations, school districts, educators and parents have publicly expressed concern about the bullying of children; and
     WHEREAS, it is important that we acknowledge the serious issues and the negative effects of bullying, including the long-term issues and the negative effects of bullying, including the long-term damage which may be of caused for our youth and the risks of teenage suicide; and
     WHEREAS, playground observations identify that at least one incident of bullying occurs every seven seconds; and
     WHEREAS, bullying  ay consist of physical incidents of hitting, kicking, or choking, verbal threats, teasing and taunting, or systematic exclusion from activities; and
     WHEREAS, providing a safe physical and emotional environment is a significant goal an
a personal responsibility of each individual; and
     WHEREAS, in remembrance of the Columbine shootings, and as a symbol of our year round struggle against bullying, it is appropriate that we designate a week to emphasize the importance of our endeavors.

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