This bill mandates that school districts and chartered public schools implement a written policy requiring the scheduling of bullying resolution conferences following incidents of bullying or cyberbullying. The policy must be adopted within six months of the bill's effective date and include components such as the appointment of a bullying officer, the scheduling of conferences with the parents or guardians of the alleged perpetrator, and the development of a written bullying action plan. The action plan must outline specific actions for the perpetrator, their parents or guardians, and school personnel, including mandatory attendance in educational courses about bullying and participation in anti-bullying workshops. Additionally, if a perpetrator commits a subsequent act of bullying, the bullying officer is required to notify the parents and file a petition alleging that the child is in need of services.

The bill also introduces new legal language to existing statutes, specifically amending RSA 193-F:4 to include a new paragraph (II-a) that outlines the requirements for the bullying resolution conferences and action plans. It establishes the role of bullying officers under a new section (RSA 193-F:11), detailing their appointment and duties, and clarifies that a petition alleging a child is in need of services cannot be filed until all intervention steps have been followed. Furthermore, it adds a new subparagraph to RSA 169-D:2 defining bullying perpetrators as children in need of services if they commit subsequent acts of bullying. The bill is set to take effect on January 1, 2026, and is projected to incur significant costs for the state and local school districts related to the implementation of these requirements.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 193-F:4, 169-D:2