DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - A bill intended to better equip Iowa schools to handle cases of bullying narrowly cleared the Senate in a straight party-line vote Tuesday after a debate about parental involvement and the most effective ways to protect children.
The Democratic-majority Senate passed the measure 26-19. The legislation now goes to the Republican-controlled House, where lawmakers are wrangling with a similar measure.
The bill would build upon current Iowa law by broadening the definition of bullying, requiring parental notification in some instances of bullying, granting school officials the authority to handle bullying incidents that occur off campus if they affect students on school grounds, and training school officials on the best practices and procedures to respond to bullying cases.
“Too many of our young people in the state are being subjected to bullying or harassment because of who they are,” said Sen. Robert Hogg, D-Cedar Rapids, who sponsored the bill. “This is a law we need to improve.”
To implement these efforts, the bill seeks $1 million for anti-bullying efforts, of which $250,000 would go toward establishing an office within the Department of Education to coordinate and implement new policies to prevent bullying and harassment in schools. The remainder of the money would be used for a competitive grant program to help schools with carrying out the new rules.
The bill also doesn’t require parental notification in all cases, leaving that decision to students and educators.
Sen. David Johnson, R-Ocheyedan, said the proposal falls short in its effort to ensure student safety. He said there are situations where a student could be bullied that don’t fall under situations identified in current law.
The law outlines a list of reasons a child might be bullied, such as religion or sexual orientation. It includes an opening clause that suggests more reasons for bullying can be considered, but Johnson said the bill doesn’t go far enough to guarantee that bullying for unlisted reasons isn’t tolerated.
He also said the bill as written fails to keep parents directly involved. Though Hogg’s proposal does include a parental notification requirement in most cases, it doesn’t involve them early enough in the investigation process, Johnson said.
“In the end, this bill does not protect all children, all students in any situation for any reason,” he said. “That’s why this is a bill that falls way short and deserves a ’no’ vote. We are not protecting children.”
Johnson proposed an amendment to address his concerns, but the amendment failed. He then urged lawmakers in the chamber to vote against the bill.
Hogg argued Republicans are neglecting to consider the well-being of children by refusing to support the measure.
When Iowa’s current bullying law was up for debate on the Senate floor in 2007, all but six Republicans voted against it.
Republican Gov. Terry Branstad has made bullying prevention a priority this year after a failed attempt during the 2013 session. After some high-profile bullying incidents in Iowa, including the 2012 suicide of a 14-year-old boy in western Iowa who had been bullied, Branstad organized an anti-bullying summit. He held another such gathering last fall.
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