ENROLLED
2017 Regular Session
HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 208
BY REPRESENTATIVE NORTON
A RESOLUTION
To create the Louisiana Bullying Awareness and Treatment Task Force to develop a
comprehensive, coordinated plan to prevent bullying and address the mental health
needs of youths who are victims of bullying as well as youths who are involved in
bullying, and to provide the needed guidance to carry out the goals the task force
recommends.
WHEREAS, the children and youths of Louisiana represent the hope and future of
Louisiana; and
WHEREAS, it is imperative to protect and assist the children and youths of
Louisiana if this state is to move forward and realize its potential in the future; and
WHEREAS, creating safe, healthy, and supportive environments with collaborative
services is a necessary foundation for improving outcomes for all children; and
WHEREAS, bullying is aggressive behavior that is intentional and that involves an
imbalance of power or strength; and
WHEREAS, bullying prevention requires positive action to establish the environment
and resources that will stop bullying before it starts; and
WHEREAS, bullying prevention requires a focus both on preventing youth from
engaging in bullying behavior, and helping those who may be targeted; and
WHEREAS, it is imperative to intervene with youths involved in bullying to provide
psychological supports and address concerns that place youths at risk for bullying or
bullying victimization; and
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WHEREAS, mental health professionals have important roles in helping to change
the behavior of youths who bully others; and
WHEREAS, once a youth is able to recognize problems with the bullying behavior,
mental health professionals can help the youth set and work toward goals for change, track
progress toward new behaviors, and feel pride about those changes; and
WHEREAS, for some youths, bullying and other forms of social aggression are more
related to impulsiveness and poor social skills than to an effort to control others; and
WHEREAS, for these youths, cognitive-behavioral interventions, family systems
interventions, and other treatment modalities to improve impulse control and structured
social skills training may also be helpful.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the House of Representatives of the
Legislature of Louisiana does hereby create the Louisiana Bullying Awareness and
Treatment Task Force to develop a comprehensive, coordinated plan to prevent bullying and
address the mental health needs of youths who are victims of bullying as well as youths who
are involved in bullying, and to provide the needed guidance to carry out the goals the task
force recommends.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force shall be composed of
representatives assigned from relevant state agencies, interested state medical and behavioral
health services provider associations, and other relevant and interested parties, including but
not limited to all of the following:
(1)The secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health or his designee.
(2)The secretary of the Department of Children and Family Services or his
designee.
(3)The executive director of the Louisiana chapter of the National Association
of Social Workers or his designee.
(4)The president of the Louisiana Counseling Association or his designee.
(5)The president of the Louisiana Association for Behavioral Health or his
designee.
(6)The president of the Louisiana School Counselor Association or his designee.
(7)The president of the Louisiana Association of Marriage and Family Therapy
or his designee.
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(8)The president of the Louisiana Psychological Association or his designee.
(9)The deputy secretary of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections,
youth services, office of juvenile justice or his designee.
(10)The president of the Louisiana Association of Child Welfare and Attendance
Personnel or his designee.
(11)The state superintendent of education or his designee.
(12)An education practitioner who has experience addressing the issue of
bullying, designated by the state superintendent of education.
(13)Four parents or other members of the public who have demonstrated a
commitment to addressing the issue of bullying, designated pursuant to the
provisions of this Resolution.
(14)Two elected members of the Louisiana House of Representatives appointed
by the speaker of the House of Representatives.
(15)Two elected members of the Louisiana Senate appointed by the president of
the Senate.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that each of the elected members of the Louisiana
House of Representatives appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives and the
elected members of the Louisiana Senate appointed by the president of the Senate shall
designate one of the parents or other members of the public to be members of the task force.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force is assigned to the Louisiana
Department of Health, with staff support to be provided from existing personnel within the
department.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the secretary of the Louisiana Department of
Health, or his designee, and the state superintendent of education, or his designee, shall serve
as cochairs of the task force.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force shall convene for its first meeting
no later than October 1, 2017. At the first meeting of the task force, the members shall elect
a vice chairman and other officers as they may deem appropriate.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that members of the task force shall receive no
compensation for their services and shall serve at no expense to the state.
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BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED the task force shall be domiciled in Baton Rouge but
may hold public meetings elsewhere in the state.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force shall meet at least once every
quarter at such times and at places as it may designate. The task force may also hold
additional meetings at the request of a majority of the members of the task force.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a majority of the task force shall constitute a
quorum for the transaction of business. All official actions of the task force shall require the
affirmative vote of a majority of the members.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the purpose of the task force is to make a
thorough study of bullying prevention strategies to develop a Louisiana Bullying Awareness
and Treatment Plan which provides, at a minimum, recommendations regarding all of the
following:
(1)Positive reforms to prevent bullying.
(2)Counseling and other treatment services for youths who are victims of
bullying as well as youths who are involved in bullying.
(3)Best practices for establishing a safe and healthy environment for all children
to learn, grow, and develop.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force may render objective, fiscally
feasible recommendations to the legislature for the implementation of policies that could be
adopted by the state of Louisiana.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that, with respect to developing bullying prevention
policies and procedures, the task force shall consider solutions and strategies that will
incorporate but not be limited to all of the following:
(1)A comprehensive statewide effort to fully identify and address problem
areas.
(2)A change in the environment to effectively combat bullying behaviors.
(3)A change in the norms for behavior from students, educators, parents, and
others to successfully address the problem.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that, with respect to youths who bully, the task force
shall consider mental health treatment solutions which will accomplish but shall not be
limited to the following:
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(1)Help the youth who bullies fully acknowledge the behavior.
(2)Emphasize that the youth had other options, no matter what the provocation,
and that the youth is fully responsible for the decision made.
(3)Confront excuses by the youth that minimize the behavior or externalize the
cause of the bullying behavior.
(4)Support parents and educators in holding these youths fully accountable for
their actions and not suggesting or allowing rationalizations.
(5)Once the youth is able to recognize problems with the bullying behavior,
help the youth set and work toward goals for change, including focusing on
helping to discover the specific positive goals that the aggression is directed
toward and finding other pathways to reach those goals, track progress
toward new behaviors, and feel pride about those changes.
(6)Help adults in the youth's family and environment recognize and affirm the
gradual progress the youth makes toward new nonaggressive behaviors.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that, with respect to youths who are the victims of
bullying, the task force shall consider mental health treatment solutions which will address
issues including but not limited to all of the following:
(1)Social isolation.
(2)Decreased academic performance.
(3)Anxiety.
(4)Depression.
(5)Low self-esteem or lack of self-confidence.
(6)Suicidal thoughts.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that, in carrying out its purposes, the task force shall
engage and solicit input, recommendations, and advice from at least one person in each of
the following categories:
(1)A child attending a middle school or junior high school located in this state
as defined in R.S. 17:263.
(2)A youth attending a high school located in this state as defined in R.S.
17:263.
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(3)An individual pursuing an undergraduate course of study at a postsecondary
institution located in this state.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force may provide each school district
in the state with information regarding the policies adopted by the state pursuant to the
recommendations of the task force. The task force may also provide each school district
with guidelines for identifying youths who bully and youths who are victims of bullying.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force may develop a model form for use
by schools to obtain parental consent for a youth to receive treatment services implemented
pursuant to its recommendations. The form shall include at a minimum all of the following:
(1)The youth's full name and address.
(2)The school attended by the youth and the grade level of the youth.
(3)The consenting parent's full name and address.
(4)A statement granting permission from the parent for the youth to receive the
treatment services along with a line for the parent to provide a signature and
date.
(5)A brief summary and explanation of the treatment services available to the
youth.
(6)A space for the parent to provide details regarding the youth's experiences
with bullying and any statement the parent would like to make regarding the
youth's participation in the treatment services.
(7)Contact information for the treatment services program to allow the parent
to request additional information.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that each school district in the state may make the
information provided by the task force regarding bullying awareness and treatment policies
adopted by the state available to parents of youths who attend school in the district. Each
school district may also provide access to the form developed by the task force pursuant to
this Resolution to any parent who requests the form.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that all personally identifiable information and any
details concerning the nature of a particular child's treatment shall remain confidential.
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BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force shall submit a report of its
findings and recommendations, including proposed legislation if necessary, on an annual
basis to the House Committee on Health and Welfare not later than sixty days prior to the
commencement of the regular legislative session.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that all departments, commissions, boards, agencies,
officers, and institutions of the state and all subdivisions thereof shall cooperate with the task
force in carrying out its powers and purposes pursuant to this Resolution.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Louisiana Department of Health and the
Department of Children and Family Services shall assist the task force in determining the
availability of funding sources to carry out the purposes of the task force.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the legislative authority for the task force shall
terminate on December 31, 2019.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution shall be transmitted
to the secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health and the state superintendent of
education.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
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