Senate Bill S7600

2021-2022 Legislative Session

Prohibits cyber-bullying

download bill text pdf

Sponsored By

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Education Committee

  • Introduced
    • In Committee Assembly
    • In Committee Senate
    • On Floor Calendar Assembly
    • On Floor Calendar Senate
    • Passed Assembly
    • Passed Senate
  • Delivered to Governor
  • Signed By Governor

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2021-S7600 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:
Senate Education
Law Section:
Education Law
Laws Affected:
Add §12-a, Ed L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:
2011-2012: S6614
2013-2014: S2011
2015-2016: S865
2017-2018: S2318
2019-2020: S4302

2021-S7600 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Establishes that any person who knowingly engages in a repeated course of cyberbullying of a minor is guilty of an unclassified misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars, or by a period of imprisonment not to exceed one year, or both.

2021-S7600 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2021-S7600 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf 

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   7600
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             December 15, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  RATH  --  read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules
 
 AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to prohibiting  cyberbul-
   lying
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section 1. Legislative intent.  The legislature finds that:
   a. Bullying is a long-standing problem among school-aged  children  in
 New  York state and throughout the nation. With increasing accessibility
 to electronic means of communication, bullying has  transformed  from  a
 predominantly school-based issue to a broader societal problem.
   b.  Researchers  have  demonstrated that bullying has long-term conse-
 quences. Further, bullying goes beyond the classroom to bullying on  the
 job, on athletic teams, on college campuses and the internet.
   c.  Experts  researching  bullying  have  suggested  that one tool for
 schools to use  in  combatting  bullying  is  to  maintain  and  enforce
 consistent  policies  against  bullying and harassment, including cyber-
 bullying. Such enforcement is not always  possible  if  bullying  occurs
 away from school or by a non-student.
   d. Perpetrators of cyberbullying are often more extreme in the threats
 and  taunts  they  inflict on their victims, as they do not actually see
 their victim's emotional reaction to the abuse and believe that they are
 anonymous. Victims of cyberbullying suffer very real and serious harm as
 a result of these incidents, often showing signs of depression, anxiety,
 social isolation, nervousness  when  interacting  with  technology,  low
 self-esteem  and  declining  school  performance. In some cases, victims
 attempt or commit suicide in part because of the  cyberbullying  they've
 endured.
   e.  Enactment  of  this  act  is  necessary and appropriate to further
 ensure that New York state's public  schools  are  safe  and  free  from
 cyberbullying.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD14039-01-1

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