S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   4544
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             February 6, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sens.  HOYLMAN-SIGAL, ADDABBO, BAILEY, CLEARE, GIANARIS,
   GOUNARDES, JACKSON,  MARTINEZ,  MAYER,  STAVISKY  --  read  twice  and
   ordered  printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on
   Education
 
 AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation  to  enacting  the  "Jack
   Reid Law: Protect All Students Act"

   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1.  Short title. This act shall be known and may be  cited  as
 the "Jack Reid Law: Protect All Students Act".
   § 2.  The education law is amended by adding a new article 2-A to read
 as follows:
                                 ARTICLE 2-A
                  JACK REID LAW: PROTECT ALL STUDENTS ACT
 SECTION 19. LEGISLATIVE INTENT.
         20. DEFINITIONS.
         21. BULLYING AND HARASSMENT PROHIBITED.
         22. APPLICABILITY.
         23. GRANT PROGRAM.
         24. SEVERABILITY AND CONSTRUCTION.
   § 19. LEGISLATIVE INTENT. THE LEGISLATURE FINDS THAT STUDENTS' ABILITY
 TO  LEARN AND TO MEET HIGH ACADEMIC STANDARDS, AND A SCHOOL'S ABILITY TO
 EDUCATE ITS STUDENTS, ARE COMPROMISED BY INCIDENTS OF HARASSMENT INCLUD-
 ING BULLYING, TAUNTING OR  INTIMIDATION.    RECENT  STUDIES  HAVE  SHOWN
 ALARMING  TRENDS  RELATED  TO BULLYING: FORTY PERCENT OF MIDDLE AND HIGH
 SCHOOL STUDENTS HAVE BEEN CYBERBULLIED IN THEIR  LIFETIME.  STUDY  AFTER
 STUDY DEMONSTRATES THAT BULLYING IMPACTS STUDENTS' ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE,
 RELATIONSHIPS, AND MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH.  IT IS HEREBY DECLARED TO
 BE  THE  POLICY OF THE STATE TO AFFORD ALL STUDENTS IN NONPUBLIC SCHOOLS
 AN ENVIRONMENT FREE OF BULLYING AND HARASSMENT.   THE  PURPOSE  OF  THIS
 ARTICLE  IS  TO  FOSTER CIVILITY IN NONPUBLIC SCHOOLS AND TO PREVENT AND

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD07739-02-5
              

 S. 4544                             2
 
 PROHIBIT CONDUCT WHICH  IS  INCONSISTENT  WITH  A  SCHOOL'S  EDUCATIONAL
 MISSION.
   §  20.  DEFINITIONS.  FOR  THE PURPOSES OF THIS ARTICLE, THE FOLLOWING
 TERMS SHALL HAVE THE FOLLOWING MEANINGS:
   1. "SCHOOL PROPERTY" SHALL MEAN IN OR WITHIN ANY BUILDING,  STRUCTURE,
 ATHLETIC PLAYING FIELD, PLAYGROUND, PARKING LOT, OR LAND CONTAINED WITH-
 IN  THE REAL PROPERTY BOUNDARY LINE OF A NONPUBLIC ELEMENTARY OR SECOND-
 ARY SCHOOL; OR IN OR ON A SCHOOL BUS, AS DEFINED IN SECTION ONE  HUNDRED
 FORTY-TWO OF THE VEHICLE AND TRAFFIC LAW.
   2.  "SCHOOL  FUNCTION"  SHALL MEAN A NONPUBLIC SCHOOL-SPONSORED EXTRA-
 CURRICULAR EVENT OR ACTIVITY.
   3. "HARASSMENT" AND "BULLYING" SHALL MEAN THE CREATION  OF  A  HOSTILE
 ENVIRONMENT  BY  CONDUCT OR BY THREATS, INTIMIDATION OR ABUSE, INCLUDING
 CYBERBULLYING, THAT (A) HAS OR WOULD HAVE THE EFFECT OF UNREASONABLY AND
 SUBSTANTIALLY INTERFERING  WITH  A  STUDENT'S  EDUCATIONAL  PERFORMANCE,
 OPPORTUNITIES  OR BENEFITS, OR MENTAL, EMOTIONAL OR PHYSICAL WELL-BEING;
 (B) REASONABLY CAUSES OR WOULD REASONABLY BE EXPECTED TO CAUSE A STUDENT
 TO FEAR FOR THEIR  PHYSICAL  SAFETY;  (C)  REASONABLY  CAUSES  OR  WOULD
 REASONABLY  BE  EXPECTED TO CAUSE PHYSICAL INJURY OR EMOTIONAL HARM TO A
 STUDENT; OR (D) OCCURS OFF SCHOOL PROPERTY AND CREATES, OR  WOULD  FORE-
 SEEABLY CREATE, A RISK OF SUBSTANTIAL DISRUPTION WITHIN THE SCHOOL ENVI-
 RONMENT, WHERE IT IS FORESEEABLE THAT THE CONDUCT, THREATS, INTIMIDATION
 OR  ABUSE MIGHT REACH SCHOOL PROPERTY.  FOR PURPOSES OF THIS DEFINITION,
 THE TERM "THREATS, INTIMIDATION OR ABUSE" SHALL INCLUDE VERBAL AND  NON-
 VERBAL ACTIONS.
   4.  "CYBERBULLYING"  SHALL  MEAN  HARASSMENT OR BULLYING AS DEFINED IN
 SUBDIVISION THREE OF THIS SECTION, WHERE  SUCH  HARASSMENT  OR  BULLYING
 OCCURS  THROUGH  ANY FORM OF ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION, INCLUDING IF SUCH
 CONDUCT OCCURS OFF SCHOOL PROPERTY AGAINST ANOTHER SCHOOL STUDENT.
   5. "SCHOOL" SHALL MEAN ANY NONPUBLIC ELEMENTARY OR SECONDARY SCHOOL.
   § 21. BULLYING AND HARASSMENT PROHIBITED. 1.    NO  STUDENT  SHALL  BE
 SUBJECTED  TO  HARASSMENT OR BULLYING, INCLUDING CYBERBULLYING, BY OTHER
 STUDENTS ON SCHOOL PROPERTY OR AT A SCHOOL FUNCTION.
   2. UPON A REPORT OF BULLYING, HARASSMENT, OR RETALIATION, THE  PRINCI-
 PAL  OR  HEAD  OF SCHOOL, OR THE PRINCIPAL OR HEAD OF SCHOOL'S DESIGNEE,
 MUST INVESTIGATE PROMPTLY, COMMUNICATE THEIR FINDINGS  WITH  THE  VICTIM
 AND TAKE IMMEDIATE STEPS AND APPROPRIATE FOLLOW-UP ACTION TO ENSURE THAT
 SUCH  CONDUCT  HAS  STOPPED  AND  ENSURE  THE  SAFETY  OF THE STUDENT OR
 STUDENTS INCLUDING RETALIATION AGAINST ANY INDIVIDUAL WHO IN GOOD  FAITH
 REPORTS SUCH BULLYING OR ASSISTS IN THE INVESTIGATION.
   3.  EVERY  SCHOOL,  SUBJECT  TO THIS SECTION, SHALL ADOPT A WRITTEN IN
 PLAIN-LANGUAGE  ANTI-BULLYING  AND  HARASSMENT  POLICY,  WHICH  MUST  BE
 PUBLISHED  ON THE SCHOOL'S WEBSITE OR INTERNAL PARENT/STUDENT PORTAL AND
 SHARED ANNUALLY WITH EMPLOYEES, PARENTS, AND STUDENTS. SUCH POLICY SHALL
 INCLUDE BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO INFORMATION ON HOW BULLYING AND HARASSMENT
 IS DEFINED, HOW INCIDENTS WILL  BE  REPORTED,  INVESTIGATED,  AND  DOCU-
 MENTED,  AND  AN  AGE-APPROPRIATE PROCESS FOR NOTIFYING THE VICTIM ABOUT
 THE FINAL OUTCOME OF THE INVESTIGATION.
   4. SCHOOL EMPLOYEES WHO WITNESS BULLYING OR HARASSMENT, OR RECEIVE  AN
 ORAL  OR WRITTEN REPORT OF BULLYING OR HARASSMENT, SHALL PROMPTLY NOTIFY
 THE PRINCIPAL OR HEAD OF SCHOOL OR THE PRINCIPAL'S OR HEAD  OF  SCHOOL'S
 DESIGNEE, ORALLY NOT LATER THAN ONE SCHOOL DAY AFTER SUCH SCHOOL EMPLOY-
 EE  WITNESSES  OR RECEIVES A REPORT OF BULLYING AND HARASSMENT, AND MUST
 FILE A WRITTEN REPORT WITH THE PRINCIPAL OR HEAD  OF  SCHOOL'S  DESIGNEE
 NOT LATER THAN TWO SCHOOL DAYS AFTER MAKING THE INITIAL ORAL REPORT.
 S. 4544                             3
 
   § 22. APPLICABILITY. 1. THIS SECTION SHALL NOT APPLY TO ACCUSATIONS OF
 BULLYING OR HARASSMENT MADE AGAINST A SCHOOL EMPLOYEE.
   2.  NOTHING  IN THIS SECTION IS INTENDED TO INFRINGE UPON ANY RIGHT TO
 EXERCISE FREE EXPRESSION OR THE FREE EXERCISE OF RELIGION OR RELIGIOUSLY
 BASED VIEWS PROTECTED UNDER THE FIRST AMENDMENT  TO  THE  UNITED  STATES
 CONSTITUTION  OR  UNDER  ARTICLE  I, SECTION EIGHT OF THE NEW YORK STATE
 CONSTITUTION.
   § 23. GRANT PROGRAM. THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ESTABLISH A  JACK  REID  LAW
 COMPLIANCE  GRANT  PROGRAM  TO  ASSIST NONPUBLIC SCHOOLS WITH COMPLIANCE
 WITH THIS SECTION OF LAW. SUCH PROGRAM SHALL  PROVIDE  ELIGIBLE  SCHOOLS
 WITH  A  ONE-TIME GRANT TO BE USED TO HELP SUCH SCHOOLS COMPLY WITH THIS
 SECTION.   THE DEPARTMENT  SHALL  DEVELOP  AN  APPLICATION  PROCESS  FOR
 SCHOOLS TO APPLY FOR FUNDS AS WELL AS PROGRAM GUIDELINES AND ELIGIBILITY
 CRITERIA. AT A MINIMUM THE PROGRAM SHALL ALLOW ELIGIBLE SCHOOLS TO APPLY
 FOR UP TO FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS IN FUNDING AND SUCH FUNDING MAY BE USED
 FOR, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, STAFF TRAINING, HIRING CONSULTANTS TO
 ASSIST  WITH  DEVELOPING  A  SCHOOL'S  BULLYING AND HARASSMENT POLICIES,
 IMPLEMENTING STUDENT FOCUSED  ANTI-BULLYING  PROGRAMS,  SUCH  AS  SOCIAL
 EMOTIONAL  LEARNING  CURRICULUM, CONDUCTING A SCHOOL CLIMATE SURVEY, AND
 OTHER USES AS DETERMINED BY THE DEPARTMENT.
   § 24. SEVERABILITY AND CONSTRUCTION. THE PROVISIONS  OF  THIS  ARTICLE
 SHALL  BE SEVERABLE, AND IF ANY COURT OF COMPETENT JURISDICTION DECLARES
 ANY PHRASE, CLAUSE, SENTENCE OR PROVISION OF THIS ARTICLE TO BE INVALID,
 OR ITS APPLICABILITY TO ANY GOVERNMENT AGENCY, PERSON OR CIRCUMSTANCE IS
 DECLARED INVALID, THE REMAINDER OF THIS ARTICLE AND ITS RELEVANT  APPLI-
 CABILITY  SHALL NOT BE AFFECTED. THE PROVISIONS OF THIS ARTICLE SHALL BE
 LIBERALLY CONSTRUED TO GIVE EFFECT TO THE PURPOSES THEREOF.
   § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.