Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden joined colleagues in introducing the Safe Schools Improvement Act, legislation that would provide protections against bullying and harassment in schools, especially for vulnerable students.
“Every student deserves a school environment where they feel safe, welcomed, and supported, without fear of bullying or harassment,” said Merkley. “The Safe Schools Improvement Act takes steps to ensure schools implement strong, evidence-based policies to prevent and address bullying, especially for marginalized students who face harassment at alarming rates. This legislation will help create safe and secure learning environments where every student can thrive.”
“Ensuring our children have a safe place to learn should not be a partisan issue,” said Wyden. “Implementing policies grounded in research that would address every stage of bullying—from prevention to problem-solving—will foster positive learning environments for everyone, with the added benefit of teaching children how to treat others. That adds up to an A+ in my book.”
The Safe Schools Improvement Act would require states to direct schools to adopt codes of conduct specifically prohibiting bullying and harassment on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, sex characteristics, and religion. States that receive federal funding under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) would be required to ensure that local education agencies (LEAs) adopt evidence-based practices to prevent and effectively respond to bullying and harassment.
While there are federal laws on the books that deal with school safety, the Safe Schools Improvement Act would specifically address bullying and harassment. One out of every five K–12 students face bullying or harassment in school—demonstrably harming academic performance, attendance, and graduation rates. Students from marginalized communities face even higher rates of bullying and harassment. Of students who face bullying, one in four are bullied based on their identity, including race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or gender expression.
This legislation was led by U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) and cosponsored by Senators Merkley, Wyden, Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Chris Coons (D-DE), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Dick Durbin (D-IL), John Fetterman (D-PA), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ed Markey (D-MA), Patty Murray (D-WA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Gary Peters (D-MI), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Bernard Sanders (I-VT), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Tina Smith (D-MN), Mark Warner (D-VA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Peter Welch (D-VT).
Bill text can be found by clicking here.
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