California Assembly Bill ACR22 Amended / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: ACR 22AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 10, 2011 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Hueso FEBRUARY 17, 2011 Relative to California School Bullying Prevention Awareness  Week   Month . LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST ACR 22, as amended, Hueso. California School Bullying Prevention Awareness  Week.   Month.  This measure would declare  the second week of  March 2011 to be California School Bullying Prevention Awareness  Week,   Month,  and urge that the issue of bullying, and methods of preventing it, be discussed  with appropriate activities  in California schools during this time. Fiscal committee: no. WHEREAS, School bullying has become an increasingly significant problem in the United States and California; and WHEREAS, Almost 35 percent of youth in the United States are estimated to be involved in bullying each year, either as a bully or a victim; and WHEREAS, An estimated 8 percent of pupils in kindergarten through grade 12 miss at least one day of school every month due to a fear of being bullied; and WHEREAS, Bullying can take many forms, including verbal, physical, and psychological forms, and can happen in many places on and off school grounds; and WHEREAS, Bullying through electronic means is a serious and growing concern; and WHEREAS, Bullying is a public health problem that leads to depression and low self-esteem well into adulthood, and the bullies themselves engage in criminal behavior later in life at higher rates; and WHEREAS, Bullying begins in the elementary grades, peaks in grades 6 through 8, and persists into high school; and WHEREAS, It is important for California pupils, parents, school staff, and school administrators to be aware of bullying, to encourage discussion of the problem as a school community, and to engage in prevention and education; and WHEREAS, The State Department of Education adopted in 2001 a policy on bullying prevention designed to encourage positive behaviors and to eliminate bullying behaviors in California schools; now, therefore, be it Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate thereof concurring, That the Legislature declares  the second week of  March 2011 to be California School Bullying Prevention Awareness  Week   Month  , and urges that the issue of bullying, and methods of preventing it, be discussed  a minimum of one class period each day, or a minimum of five hours,   with appropriate activities  in California schools during this time; and be it further Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.