| 1 | 1 | | 89R3986 BCH-D |
|---|
| 2 | 2 | | By: Zaffirini S.B. No. 645 |
|---|
| 3 | 3 | | |
|---|
| 4 | 4 | | |
|---|
| 5 | 5 | | |
|---|
| 6 | 6 | | |
|---|
| 7 | 7 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
|---|
| 8 | 8 | | AN ACT |
|---|
| 9 | 9 | | relating to including antisemitism in the definition of bullying |
|---|
| 10 | 10 | | for the purpose of school discipline policies. |
|---|
| 11 | 11 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|---|
| 12 | 12 | | SECTION 1. Section 37.0832(a), Education Code, is amended |
|---|
| 13 | 13 | | by amending Subdivision (1) and adding Subdivision (3) to read as |
|---|
| 14 | 14 | | follows: |
|---|
| 15 | 15 | | (1) "Bullying": |
|---|
| 16 | 16 | | (A) means a single significant act or a pattern |
|---|
| 17 | 17 | | of acts by one or more students directed at another student that |
|---|
| 18 | 18 | | exploits an imbalance of power and involves engaging in written or |
|---|
| 19 | 19 | | verbal expression, expression through electronic means, or |
|---|
| 20 | 20 | | physical conduct that satisfies the applicability requirements |
|---|
| 21 | 21 | | provided by Subsection (a-1), and that: |
|---|
| 22 | 22 | | (i) has the effect or will have the effect |
|---|
| 23 | 23 | | of physically harming a student, damaging a student's property, or |
|---|
| 24 | 24 | | placing a student in reasonable fear of harm to the student's person |
|---|
| 25 | 25 | | or of damage to the student's property; |
|---|
| 26 | 26 | | (ii) is sufficiently severe, persistent, or |
|---|
| 27 | 27 | | pervasive enough that the action or threat creates an intimidating, |
|---|
| 28 | 28 | | threatening, or abusive educational environment for a student; |
|---|
| 29 | 29 | | (iii) materially and substantially |
|---|
| 30 | 30 | | disrupts the educational process or the orderly operation of a |
|---|
| 31 | 31 | | classroom or school; or |
|---|
| 32 | 32 | | (iv) infringes on the rights of the victim |
|---|
| 33 | 33 | | at school; and |
|---|
| 34 | 34 | | (B) includes cyberbullying and antisemitism. |
|---|
| 35 | 35 | | (3) "Antisemitism" means conduct described by |
|---|
| 36 | 36 | | Paragraph (1)(A) that is based on a certain perception of Jews that |
|---|
| 37 | 37 | | may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. The term includes |
|---|
| 38 | 38 | | rhetorical and physical acts of antisemitism directed toward Jewish |
|---|
| 39 | 39 | | or non-Jewish individuals or their property or toward Jewish |
|---|
| 40 | 40 | | community institutions and religious facilities. Examples of |
|---|
| 41 | 41 | | antisemitism are included with the International Holocaust |
|---|
| 42 | 42 | | Remembrance Alliance's "Working Definition of Antisemitism" |
|---|
| 43 | 43 | | adopted on May 26, 2016. |
|---|
| 44 | 44 | | SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2025-2026 |
|---|
| 45 | 45 | | school year. |
|---|
| 46 | 46 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
|---|
| 47 | 47 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
|---|
| 48 | 48 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
|---|
| 49 | 49 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
|---|
| 50 | 50 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
|---|