Anti-bullying bill languishes, still alive

DES MOINES - x A new package of programs to help public schools address bullying incidents remains eligible for consideration by state lawmakers.

But legislative leaders were non-committal Wednesday when asked about the anti-bullying package's prospects for the waning 2015 legislative session.

It's the third consecutive year in which state lawmakers have considered anti-bullying measures, a priority of Republican Gov. Terry Branstad.

A year ago, Republicans in control of the Iowa House and Democrats in control of the Iowa Senate passed separate anti-bullying proposals, but they were unable to resolve their differences and send a compromise bill to the governor.

This year, Senate Democrats twice passed updated anti-bullying legislation, leaving the proposal's fate in the hands of House Republicans.

The Senate passed a new anti-bullying bill and also placed the proposal in the standing appropriations bill, a catchall package of legislation with both funding and policy items.

House Speaker Kraig Paulsen, R-Hiawatha, said the anti-bullying proposal will be addressed in standings bill negotiations, not as a stand-alone bill - if it is addressed at all.

A week ago, 50 of 55 House Republicans voted against the anti-bullying proposal when it was introduced as an amendment.

Paulsen was vague when asked whether House Republicans could accept the anti-bullying proposal as part of a compromise standings bill.

'I didn't show up this morning prepared to say no to a whole host of things. So we'll just roll with it,” he said.

Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal said Democrats support the anti-bullying proposal, but he would not say that it must be included in any negotiated deal.

'There's a whole set of policy measures we would like to see passed. ... We have not discussed those. We'll see where those go,” he said.

Am ong the provisions in the anti-bullying proposal:

' Parents would be notified of any bullying incident, except when the victim or a school official fears notification could create further distress for the victim.

'Schools would be given clearer authority to address incidents that happen off school grounds but still impact a student's ability to focus in school. This would include online bullying.

' A mentoring program would be created through which older students would mentor younger students.

' A statewide task force would be created to sustain an ongoing discussion of bullying in schools.