Vermont H 130: An act relating to expanding the membership and duties of the Advisory Council on Harassment, Hazing, and Bullying Prevention in Schools

Bill Text

BILL AS INTRODUCED H.130
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VT LEG #379275 v.2
H.130 1
Introduced by Representatives Minier of South Burlington, Christie of 2
Hartford, Arsenault of Williston, Bartley of Fairfax, Burrows of 3
West Windsor, Headrick of Burlington, LaMont of Morristown, 4
McCann of Montpelier, and Waters Evans of Charlotte 5
Referred to Committee on 6
Date: 7
Subject: Education; hazing, harassment, and bullying prevention; Agency of 8
Education 9
Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to expand the 10
membership and duties of the Advisory Council on Harassment, Hazing, and 11
Bullying Prevention in Schools under 16 V.S.A. § 570. 12
An act relating to expanding the membership and duties of the Advisory 13
Council on Harassment, Hazing, and Bullying Prevention in Schools 14
It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont: 15
Sec. 1. 16 V.S.A. § 570 is amended to read: 16
§ 570. HARASSMENT, HAZING, AND BULLYING PREVENTION 17
POLICIES 18
* * * 19
(d) Duties of the Secretary. The Secretary shall: 20

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VT LEG #379275 v.2
(1) develop and, from time to time, update model harassment, hazing, 1
and bullying prevention policies; and 2
(2) establish an Advisory Council to review and coordinate school and 3
statewide activities relating to the prevention of and response to harassment, 4
hazing, and bullying. The Council shall report annually in January to the State 5
Board and the House and Senate Committees on Education. The Council shall 6
include: 7
(A) the Executive Director of the Vermont Principals’ Association or 8
designee; 9
(B) the Executive Director of the Vermont School Boards 10
Association or designee; 11
(C) the Executive Director of the Vermont Superintendents 12
Association or designee; 13
(D) the President of the Vermont-National Education Association or 14
designee; 15
(E) the Executive Director of the Vermont Human Rights 16
Commission or designee; 17
(F) the Executive Director of the Vermont Independent Schools 18
Association or designee; and 19

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VT LEG #379275 v.2
(G) other members selected by the Secretary, at least one of whom 1
shall be a current secondary student who has witnessed or experienced 2
harassment, hazing, or bullying in the school environment; and 3
(3) provide the Advisory Council with administrative support. 4
(e) Advisory Council on Harassment, Hazing, and Bullying Prevention in 5
Schools. 6
(1) Membership. The Advisory Council shall be composed of the 7
following members: 8
(A) the Secretary of Education or designee; 9
(B) a principal, appointed by the Vermont Principals’ Association; 10
(C) a school board member, appointed by the Vermont School 11
Boards Association; 12
(D) a superintendent, appointed by the Vermont Superintendents 13
Association; 14
(E) a teacher, appointed by the Vermont-National Education 15
Association; 16
(F) the Executive Director of the Vermont Human Rights 17
Commission or designee; 18
(G) the Executive Director of the Vermont Independent Schools 19
Association or designee; 20

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VT LEG #379275 v.2
(H) a member, appointed by the Vermont Coalition for Disability 1
Rights; 2
(I) a student member, appointed by the Education Justice Coalition of 3
Vermont; 4
(J) a student member, appointed by the Vermont Student Anti-5
Racism Network; 6
(K) two members, appointed by Outright Vermont; 7
(L) a member, appointed by the Commission on Women; 8
(M) a member, appointed by the Office of Racial Equity; 9
(N) a member, appointed by the Vermont Network Against Domestic 10
and Sexual Violence; 11
(O) a member, appointed by the Vermont State Athletic Directors 12
Association (VSADA); 13
(P) a member, appointed by the National Association of Social 14
Workers-Vermont (NASW-VT); and 15
(Q) a parent member, appointed by the Vermont Family Network. 16
(2) Duties. The Advisory Council shall: 17
(A) Meet at least four and not more than 12 times per year. 18
(B) Review and coordinate school and statewide activities relating to 19
the prevention of and response to harassment, hazing, and bullying. 20

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VT LEG #379275 v.2
(C) Review the model harassment, hazing, and bullying prevention 1
policies developed by the Secretary every two years, beginning in 2025, and 2
recommend updates to the policies as necessary. 3
(D) Generate and distribute resources on hazing, harassment, and 4
bullying prevention and response to school professionals, including: 5
(i) best practices for reentry into and maintaining access to 6
educational spaces; 7
(ii) restorative practice framework for responding to hazing, 8
harassment, and bullying issues; 9
(iii) differentiated responses for complainants and accused 10
students with disabilities; and 11
(iv) annually soliciting input from students, parents, and schools 12
on hazing, harassment, and bullying. 13
(E) Notwithstanding 2 V.S.A. § 20(d),