The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part of the
legislative instrument, were prepared by Nancy Vicknair.
DIGEST
Morrell (SB 370)
Present law requires the governing authority of each public elementary and secondary school to
create a training program for school employees with respect to bullying. Requires such training
to include how to identify students at each grade level who are most likely to become victims of
bullying while not excluding any student from protection from bullying.
Proposed law retains present law and requires the department to provide school employees with
annual data regarding bullying incidents specific to their school site.
Present law requires such training to include how to use appropriate intervention and remediation
techniques and procedures.
Proposed law retains present law and requires the training to include how to implement an age
and developmentally appropriate prevention curriculum, Internet safety and cyberbullying issues.
Present law requires school officials to notify a student's parent or legal guardian upon receiving
a report of bullying.
Proposed law retains present law and authorizes a principal to use his discretion regarding such
notification if he determines it may result in physical or emotional harm to a victim of bullying.
Requires school officials to consider the age, health, well-being, safety, and privacy of any
students involved in a bullying incident prior to notifying the parent or legal guardian of any
student involved in such incident. Requires school officials to ensure the continued safety of the
victim once an investigation has been concluded.
Proposed law requires the governing authority of each public elementary and secondary school to
collect, if applicable, information about reported incidents of bullying and requires such
information to be recorded by the school personnel submitting written reports of bullying.
Requires the information collected to include:
(1) Names of the victim, the bully, and any witness and reliable contact information for each.
(2)Relevant information about the victim, the bully, and any witnesses including connection
of the victim, the bully, and any witness to the incident.
(3)The location and time of the incident, whether adult supervision was in place, and the
names of school staff members who were witnesses to the incident, if applicable.
(4)Any other relevant information required to be collected by state or federal education authorities, including but not limited to the biennial United States Department of
Education Civil Rights Data Collection survey.
Proposed law provides that beginning with the 2015-2016 school year and continuing annually
thereafter, the department is required to publish reports including school- and district-level
statistics regarding bullying incidents based on the data reported by the governing authority of
each public elementary and secondary school pursuant to proposed law. Prohibits such
published reports from including identifying information about students involved in a bullying
incident in order to ensure confidentiality. Requires the data to be reported only in the aggregate.
Present law requires equal protection of all students without regard to the subject matter or the
motivating animus of the bullying. Proposed law provides that no provision of proposed law be
construed to prevent the collection and reporting of educationally relevant data regarding
bullying incidents provided that such reporting does not violate the equal protection or privacy
rights of students or school personnel.
Effective August 1, 2014.
(Amends R.S. 17:416.13(B), (D)(3)(d)(i) and (g), and (H))