Public hearing about school bullying at state capitol

There is a public hearing on Monday in Jefferson City that is focused on school bullies. A committee in the Missouri House will discuss the bill, which adds new requirements for schools’ anti-bullying policies.

Under the proposed legislation, school counselors have to educate students who are bullied about techniques designed to overcome the effects of bullying. Officials would have to put programs into place to prevent and respond to bullying and refer proper resources to the victims.

Districts could also discipline students and work to stop cyber-bullying that happens off-campus, if the school is sufficiently involved. Every district has to review its anti-bullying policies yearly and report the number of confirmed cases to the state, which will post the relevant information online.

The bill requires every licensed educator to complete up to two hours of youth awareness and suicide prevention training. Each school district would have to adopt a policy by July 1, 2018, that includes strategies to help identify students who could be at risk of suicide.

Testimony should start around 5 Monday evening at the state capitol.