An that passed Texas Senate today would require school districts to adopt a policy to prohibit, prevent and investigate bullying, both in person and online.
After more than 15 anti-bullying bills were introduced this session, Houston state Sen. 's bill passed on a 30-1 vote. The bill now heads to the House.
Similar legislation is already in force in 37 other states, according to our political reporting parnter, .
In addition to adding a definition of cyber-bulllying to the statute, SB 205 requires districts to develop specific policies to prevent and investigate aggressive behavior from students. It also includes a provision that holds school district officials accountable for failing to address reports of bullying.
Senator (R-Flower Mound) was the only person to vote against the bill. Her spokesperson explained her rationale to the Houston Press newsblog .
"School districts should be encouraged to develop policies against bullying, and I believe the provisions of those policies are best determined by school officials at the local level," she told Hair Balls through her press spokesperson.
- an advocacy group for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered teenagers - is among the groups supporting stricter anti-bullying laws. It produced a series of web videos from teenagers giving first hand accounts of their bullying experiences.