Vermont 2025-2026 Regular Session

Vermont House Bill H0130 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	BILL AS INTRODUCED H.130
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5	5	VT LEG #379275 v.2
6	6	H.130 1
7	7	Introduced by Representatives Minier of South Burlington, Christie of 2
8	8	Hartford, Arsenault of Williston, Bartley of Fairfax, Burrows of 3
9	9	West Windsor, Headrick of Burlington, LaMont of Morristown, 4
10	10	McCann of Montpelier, and Waters Evans of Charlotte 5
11	11	Referred to Committee on 6
12	12	Date: 7
13	13	Subject: Education; hazing, harassment, and bullying prevention; Agency of 8
14	14	Education 9
15	15	Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to expand the 10
16	16	membership and duties of the Advisory Council on Harassment, Hazing, and 11
17	17	Bullying Prevention in Schools under 16 V.S.A. § 570. 12
18	18	An act relating to expanding the membership and duties of the Advisory 13
19	19	Council on Harassment, Hazing, and Bullying Prevention in Schools 14
20	20	It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont: 15
21	21	Sec. 1. 16 V.S.A. § 570 is amended to read: 16
22	22	§ 570. HARASSMENT, HAZING, AND BULLYING PREVENTION 17
23	23	POLICIES 18
24	24	* * * 19
25	25	(d) Duties of the Secretary. The Secretary shall: 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.130
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30	30	(1) develop and, from time to time, update model harassment, hazing, 1
31	31	and bullying prevention policies; and 2
32	32	(2) establish an Advisory Council to review and coordinate school and 3
33	33	statewide activities relating to the prevention of and response to harassment, 4
34	34	hazing, and bullying. The Council shall report annually in January to the State 5
35	35	Board and the House and Senate Committees on Education. The Council shall 6
36	36	include: 7
37	37	(A) the Executive Director of the Vermont Principals’ Association or 8
38	38	designee; 9
39	39	(B) the Executive Director of the Vermont School Boards 10
40	40	Association or designee; 11
41	41	(C) the Executive Director of the Vermont Superintendents 12
42	42	Association or designee; 13
43	43	(D) the President of the Vermont-National Education Association or 14
44	44	designee; 15
45	45	(E) the Executive Director of the Vermont Human Rights 16
46	46	Commission or designee; 17
47	47	(F) the Executive Director of the Vermont Independent Schools 18
48	48	Association or designee; and 19 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.130
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53	53	(G) other members selected by the Secretary, at least one of whom 1
54	54	shall be a current secondary student who has witnessed or experienced 2
55	55	harassment, hazing, or bullying in the school environment; and 3
56	56	(3) provide the Advisory Council with administrative support. 4
57	57	(e) Advisory Council on Harassment, Hazing, and Bullying Prevention in 5
58	58	Schools. 6
59	59	(1) Membership. The Advisory Council shall be composed of the 7
60	60	following members: 8
61	61	(A) the Secretary of Education or designee; 9
62	62	(B) a principal, appointed by the Vermont Principals’ Association; 10
63	63	(C) a school board member, appointed by the Vermont School 11
64	64	Boards Association; 12
65	65	(D) a superintendent, appointed by the Vermont Superintendents 13
66	66	Association; 14
67	67	(E) a teacher, appointed by the Vermont-National Education 15
68	68	Association; 16
69	69	(F) the Executive Director of the Vermont Human Rights 17
70	70	Commission or designee; 18
71	71	(G) the Executive Director of the Vermont Independent Schools 19
72	72	Association or designee; 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.130
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77	77	(H) a member, appointed by the Vermont Coalition for Disability 1
78	78	Rights; 2
79	79	(I) a student member, appointed by the Education Justice Coalition of 3
80	80	Vermont; 4
81	81	(J) a student member, appointed by the Vermont Student Anti-5
82	82	Racism Network; 6
83	83	(K) two members, appointed by Outright Vermont; 7
84	84	(L) a member, appointed by the Commission on Women; 8
85	85	(M) a member, appointed by the Office of Racial Equity; 9
86	86	(N) a member, appointed by the Vermont Network Against Domestic 10
87	87	and Sexual Violence; 11
88	88	(O) a member, appointed by the Vermont State Athletic Directors 12
89	89	Association (VSADA); 13
90	90	(P) a member, appointed by the National Association of Social 14
91	91	Workers-Vermont (NASW-VT); and 15
92	92	(Q) a parent member, appointed by the Vermont Family Network. 16
93	93	(2) Duties. The Advisory Council shall: 17
94	94	(A) Meet at least four and not more than 12 times per year. 18
95	95	(B) Review and coordinate school and statewide activities relating to 19
96	96	the prevention of and response to harassment, hazing, and bullying. 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.130
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101	101	(C) Review the model harassment, hazing, and bullying prevention 1
102	102	policies developed by the Secretary every two years, beginning in 2025, and 2
103	103	recommend updates to the policies as necessary. 3
104	104	(D) Generate and distribute resources on hazing, harassment, and 4
105	105	bullying prevention and response to school professionals, including: 5
106	106	(i) best practices for reentry into and maintaining access to 6
107	107	educational spaces; 7
108	108	(ii) restorative practice framework for responding to hazing, 8
109	109	harassment, and bullying issues; 9
110	110	(iii) differentiated responses for complainants and accused 10
111	111	students with disabilities; and 11
112	112	(iv) annually soliciting input from students, parents, and schools 12
113	113	on hazing, harassment, and bullying. 13
114	114	(E) Notwithstanding 2 V.S.A. § 20(d), annually on or before January 14
115	115	15, the Council shall submit a written report to House and Senate Committees 15
116	116	on Education, which shall hold a joint legislative hearing each legislative 16
117	117	session to review the report. The Council shall also submit the report to the 17
118	118	State Board of Education at the same time. The report shall contain: 18
119	119	(i) details on the past year’s Advisory Council activities and the 19
120	120	upcoming year’s priorities; 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.130
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125	125	(ii) a summary of solicited input from students, parents, and 1
126	126	schools on hazing, harassment, and bullying; 2
127	127	(iii) a list of resources the Agency needs to support work related to 3
128	128	hazing, harassment, and bullying; and 4
129	129	(iv) any recommendations for legislative changes. 5
130	130	(3) Compensation and reimbursement. Members of the Council shall be 6
131	131	entitled to per diem compensation and reimbursement of expenses as permitted 7
132	132	under 32 V.S.A. § 1010 for not more than 12 meetings of the Council per year. 8
133	133	(f) Definitions. In this subchapter: 9
134	134	(1) “Educational institution” and “school” mean a public school or an 10
135	135	approved or recognized independent school as defined in section 11 of this 11
136	136	title. 12
137	137	(2) “Organization,” “pledging,” and “student” have the same meanings 13
138	138	as in section 570i of this title. 14
139	139	(3) “Harassment,” “hazing,” and “bullying” have the same meanings as 15
140	140	in subdivisions 11(a)(26), (30), and (32) of this title. 16
141	141	(4) “School board” means the board of directors or other governing 17
142	142	body of an educational institution when referring to an independent school. 18
143	143	Sec. 2 EFFECTIVE DATE 19
144	144	This act shall take effect on July 1, 2025. 20