This bill is currently waiting for passage and when it passes it will receive an A.
MichiganIntroduced by Representative Glenn Anderson
Anti bullying Legislation - 2006 Session
Will be introduced again in the 2007 Session"Matt's Safe School Law"
www.MattEpling.com
Michigan has a statewide anti bullying education policy adopted in 2001. Although policies are NOT state laws, policies are mandated by law - 2nd best to having a law. If your child is currently being bullied in Michigan, I would suggest you obtain a copy of this policy by going to http://www.michigan.gov/documents/bdpolicy010719_16469_7.pdf and pulling down this PDF file. Take this policy to your school and demand that the "Policies on Bullying" be enforced.
A note from Representative Anderson concerning HB 5616:
House Bill 5616, requires school districts to establish a policy prohibiting bullying or harassment at school and was was drafted with the input of a large number of education and children advocates and is the most comprehensive and far-reaching bill on this issue to date.
Through this bill, a bullying/harassment policy would be adopted through a process that includes representations of parents, guardians, school employees, volunteers, pupils, school administrators, and community representatives. Bullying is a very serious threat to school safety and has been linked to higher levels of dropout rates, crime, suicide, and school shootings. Statistics show that 30% of students in grades six through ten are affected by moderate or frequent bullying with 19% of students having participated in bullying. After gathering actual school district bullying policies from over 50 school districts around Michigan, it is clearly evident that policies range from non-existent to a few reasonably good policies.
My legislation would ensure that school districts have some degree of uniformity and clarity in their bullying and harassment policies to provide a safe learning environment for all Michigan children.
I welcome any comments or feedback concerning this legislation. Please contact my office at (517) 373-2576, or by email at glennanderson@house.mi.gov.
Sincerely,
Glenn S. Anderson
Michigan State Representative
18th District- Westland