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HB 247 - Education; bullying; discourage and prohibit

Scheid, III, Charles F (17th)	Walker, Larry (141st)	Irvin, Robert A (45th)
Jamieson, Mary Jeanette (22nd)	Ashe, Kathy B (46th)	Stancil, Steve (16th)

Status Summary	HC:	Ed	SC:		FR:	01/27/99	LA:	01/28/99	H - Read 2nd Time

First Reader Summary

A BILL to amend Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to elementary and secondary education, so as to require that the comprehensive character education program developed by the State Board of Education address methods to discourage bullying; and for other purposes.

Code Sections - 20-2-145/ 20-2-751.4

HB 247                                             LC 27 0753 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                        A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 
                               AN ACT 
 
 
  1- 1  To amend Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of 
  1- 2  Georgia Annotated, relating to elementary and secondary 
  1- 3  education, so as to require that the comprehensive character 
  1- 4  education program developed by the State Board of Education 
  1- 5  address methods to discourage bullying; to define a certain 
  1- 6  term; to require local boards of education to adopt policies 
  1- 7  that prohibit bullying of a student by another student and 
  1- 8  provide for the assignment of certain students to 
  1- 9  alternative schools; to provide for notification of students 
  1-10  and parents of anti-bullying policies; to provide for 
  1-11  related matters; to provide for an effective date; to repeal 
  1-12  conflicting laws; and for other purposes. 
 
  1-13       BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA: 
 
  1-14                           SECTION 1. 
 
  1-15  Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia 
  1-16  Annotated, relating to elementary and secondary education, 
  1-17  is amended by striking in its entirety Code Section 
  1-18  20-2-145, relating to the comprehensive character education 
  1-19  program, and inserting in lieu thereof a new Code Section 
  1-20  20-2-145 to read as follows: 
 
  1-21    "20-2-145. 
 
  1-22    The State Board of Education shall develop by the start of 
  1-23    the 1997-1998 school year a comprehensive character 
  1-24    education program for levels K-12. This comprehensive 
  1-25    character education program shall be known as the 
  1-26    'character curriculum' and shall focus on the students' 
  1-27    development of the following character traits: courage, 
  1-28    patriotism, citizenship, honesty, fairness, respect for 
  1-29    others, kindness, cooperation, self-respect, self-control, 
  1-30    courtesy, compassion, tolerance, diligence, generosity, 
  1-31    punctuality, cleanliness, cheerfulness, school pride, 
  1-32    respect for the environment, respect for the creator, 
  1-33    patience, creativity, sportsmanship, loyalty, 
  1-34    perseverance, and virtue.  Such program shall also 
 
 
 
                                 -1- 
 
 
 
  2- 1    address, by the start of the 1999-2000 school year, 
  2- 2    methods of discouraging bullying and violent acts against 
  2- 3    fellow students. Local boards may implement such a program 
  2- 4    at any time and for any grade levels, and the state board 
  2- 5    shall encourage the implementation of such plan." 
 
  2- 6                           SECTION 2. 
 
  2- 7  Said chapter is further amended in Subpart 2 of Part 2 of 
  2- 8  Article 16, relating to public school disciplinary 
  2- 9  tribunals, by adding a new Code Section 20-2-751.4 to read 
  2-10  as follows: 
 
  2-11    "20-2-751.4. 
 
  2-12    (a) As used in this Code section, the term 'bullying' 
  2-13    means: 
 
  2-14      (1) Any willful attempt or threat to inflict injury on 
  2-15      another person, when accompanied by an apparent present 
  2-16      ability to do so; or 
 
  2-17      (2) Any intentional display of force such as would give 
  2-18      the victim reason to fear or expect immediate bodily 
  2-19      harm. 
 
  2-20    (b) Each local board of education shall adopt policies, 
  2-21    applicable to students in grades six through 12, that 
  2-22    prohibit bullying of a student by another student and 
  2-23    shall require such prohibition to be included in the 
  2-24    student code of conduct for middle and high schools in 
  2-25    that school system. Local board policies shall require 
  2-26    that, upon a finding that a student has committed the 
  2-27    offense of bullying for the third time in a school year, 
  2-28    such student shall be assigned to an alternative school. 
  2-29    Each local board of education shall ensure that students 
  2-30    and parents of students are notified of the prohibition 
  2-31    against bullying, and the penalties for violating the 
  2-32    prohibition, by posting such information at each middle 
  2-33    and high school and by including such information in 
  2-34    student and parent handbooks. 
 
  2-35    (c) Any school system which is not in compliance with the 
  2-36    requirements of this Code section shall be ineligible to 
  2-37    receive state funding pursuant to Code Sections 20-2-161 
  2-38    and 20-2-260. The requirements of this Code section shall 
  2-39    apply notwithstanding any contrary provision of Code 
  2-40    Section 20-2-751.3." 
 
 
 
 
                                 -2- 
 
 
 
  3- 1                           SECTION 3. 
 
  3- 2  This Act shall become effective on July 1, 1999. 
 
  3- 3                           SECTION 4. 
 
  3- 4  All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are 
  3- 5  repealed. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                 -3-