The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PETITION OF:
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PETITION OF:
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In the Year Two Thousand and Seven.
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Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
SECTION 1. Chapter 71 of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the following section:-
Section 90. For purposes of this section, "bullying" is any written or verbal expression or physical act or gesture or a pattern of behavior intended to cause emotional distress of a student in a public school, on public school grounds, in public school vehicles, at public school bus stops or at public school activities or sanctioned events. In order to provide a learning environment that is safe, conducive to the learning process and free from unnecessary disruption, following consultation with parents, guardians, teachers, administrators, students, student councils where applicable and, where appropriate, the community at large, each public school district shall promulgate and implement a safe school plan. The plan shall state specific policies in effect designed to prevent bullying from occurring. The plan shall also contain procedures for disciplining students who bully. Each public school shall submit annually, in a manner and by a date determined by the department of education, a written report to the superintendent of its respective school district concerning the learning environment in the school for the previous year. Each school district's superintendent shall compile the reports from every school in the district and shall annually submit the compiled report to the department of education in a format and on a date specified by the department. The reports shall include, but not be limited to, the safe school plan in effect in the school district, the number of bullying incidents reported at each school and the total number of incidents reported in the district. The reports shall be made available to the public annually.