This bill proposes to amend current statutes by adding a new section, 15-120.08, to the Arizona Revised Statutes, which would establish a cause of action for students or their parents against public schools for damages resulting from the school's failure to address bullying. Specifically, the bill stipulates that a student must suffer serious physical injury due to bullying, the school must have received at least one prior report of bullying against the student, and the school must have negligently failed to address the situation.

Additionally, the bill allows courts to award reasonable attorney fees, expenses, and damages to claimants who prevail in such actions. It defines "prior report" to include both written or verbal reports made to school employees and personal observations by school employees that reasonably indicate bullying has occurred. Overall, these changes aim to enhance accountability for public schools in addressing bullying incidents.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 15-120.08