PRINTER'S NO. 1886
No. 1502 Session of 2003
INTRODUCED BY WOJNAROSKI, READSHAW, BEBKO-JONES, WALKO, LEDERER,
BAKER, DeWEESE, FABRIZIO, LAUGHLIN, SHANER, CAPPELLI,
GORDNER, HARRIS, PRESTON, CREIGHTON, GRUCELA, YOUNGBLOOD,
STABACK, BROWNE, O'NEILL, GERGELY, JOSEPHS, SOLOBAY, HARHAI,
LEVDANSKY, KELLER, GILLESPIE, DeLUCA, SCHRODER, GEIST, HESS,
MELIO AND TANGRETTI, JUNE 2, 2003
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, JUNE 2, 2003
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), entitled "An
2 act relating to the public school system, including certain
3 provisions applicable as well to private and parochial
4 schools; amending, revising, consolidating and changing the
5 laws relating thereto," requiring school districts to develop
6 a bullying and student intimidation prevention plan.
7 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
8 hereby enacts as follows:
9 Section 1. The act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known
10 as the Public School Code of 1949, is amended by adding a
11 section to read:
12 Section 1303.1-A. Bullying and Student Intimidation
13 Prevention Plan.--(a) Each school district in this Commonwealth
14 shall develop a comprehensive and coordinated bullying and
15 student intimidation prevention plan relevant to the specific
16 needs of the district and drawing on existing State and
17 community resources with the goal to create a safe academic and
18 social environment while assuring that appropriate procedures
1 are in place to deal with crisis situations.
2 (b) The bullying and student intimidation prevention plan
3 should include both preventative and responsive measures and
4 programs to address bullying and student intimidation in order
5 to eliminate numerous student safety risk factors and reduce the
6 occurrence of school violence.
7 (c) Within three months of the effective date of this act,
8 every school district shall submit a bullying and student
9 intimidation prevention plan to the Department of Education. The
10 school board of a district must review and approve its plan
11 before the plan may be submitted to the department. Any
12 revisions to the original plan submitted to the department shall
13 be approved by the school board prior to submission to the
14 department. Any school district which has a preexisting bullying
15 and student intimidation prevention plan adopted by the school
16 board may submit such program to the department.
17 (d) The bullying and student intimidation prevention plan,
18 and any subsequent revisions to the original plan, shall be made
19 available for public inspection in the school district offices
20 for at least 30 days prior to its approval by the school board.
21 (e) At the beginning of each school year students shall be
22 furnished with an updated copy of the bullying and student
23 intimidation prevention plan adopted by the school board. Copies
24 shall also be made available to administrators, parents and
25 teachers within the district.
26 (f) A school district which fails to comply with this
27 section shall be ineligible for reimbursement under Article XXV
28 until it establishes compliance.
29 (g) In developing its plan, a district may utilize the
30 existing resources and expertise of the Office for Safe Schools
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1 established by the department pursuant to section 1302-A. The
2 department, through the office for Safe Schools, shall develop
3 and make available to school districts model bullying and
4 student intimidation prevention plans drawn from programs
5 already offered in this Commonwealth and throughout the United
6 States.
7 Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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