What's happening
This bill creates a statewide, toll-free hotline in New York for reporting and responding to school bullying incidents.
Why it matters
Centralized, Anonymous Reporting. By creating a single, anonymous, and accessible point of contact for bullying reports, the bill aims to lower barriers for students and community members to report incidents, which could lead to earlier interventions and greater accountability in schools.
24/7 Availability and Multiple Formats. The hotline’s round-the-clock operation and acceptance of both calls and, if possible, text messages, ensures that students and others can seek help or report bullying at any time, accommodating different comfort levels and urgent situations.
Swift Response and Coordination. Mandating immediate transmission of reports to relevant state agencies, local social services, and law enforcement (when appropriate) creates a formal mechanism for rapid response, potentially improving both the protection of students and the follow-up on serious or criminal incidents.
State Oversight and Implementation. The Department of Education’s authority to set rules and regulations for the hotline’s operation means there will be oversight and standardization, which could help ensure the system is effective, consistent across districts, and integrated with existing support and investigative services.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Create School Bullying Hotline
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
12 Co-sponsors
1 Multi-sponsor
History
- Referred to education
- Referred to education
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
6021
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 26, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. ORTIZ, MOSLEY, SEAWRIGHT, DICKENS, D'URSO, ARROYO, LAVINE, SIMON, BLAKE, COOK, DE LA ROSA, WILLIAMS, BICHOTTE -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. HYNDMAN -- read once and referred to the Committee on Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to the establishment of a statewide toll-free hotline for reporting instances of bullying in schools
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new section 115 to read as follows:
§ 115. Toll-free statewide bullying hotline. 1. The department shall establish a statewide, toll-free telephone number (a "hotline") to receive reports of bullying in schools. The hotline shall receive reports of allegations of reportable incidents twenty-four hours per day, seven days a week. The hotline shall accept anonymous calls and, if feasible, accept text messages. The department shall provide information about such hotline to each public and private school in the state.
2. When any allegation that could reasonably constitute a reportable incident is received by the hotline, the hotline shall accept and immediately transmit notice of the report orally and electronically to any appropriate state agencies or local social services office. Whenever a telephone call or electronic transmission to the hotline alleges an act or circumstances that may constitute a criminal offense or an immediate threat to an individual's health, safety or welfare, the hotline shall convey, by the most expedient means available, the information contained in such call or transmission to the appropriate law enforcement agency or district attorney and, to the extent necessary, the appropriate emergency responder, and the relevant state agency or local social services office.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD06042-01-9
A. 6021 2
3. The department is authorized to promulgate rules and regulations to facilitate the implementation and operation of the hotline, including but not limited to, procedures for timely and accurate referrals to other state agencies or entities that may have investigative or oversight authority regarding reported incidents.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.