Enforcement issues bottling up Iowa anti-bullying initiative

DES MOINES - Gov. Terry Branstad asked for understanding while one of his top legislative priorities of the 2014 session struggles to gain steam.

Branstad introduced new anti-bullying legislation early this session. It would give school authorities the ability to enforce school anti-bullying rules for incidents that occur off campus.

It also expands the definition of bullying to include social media, requires training of school personnel to recognize bullying and beefs up the state's reporting system.

A version of the legislation has passed the Democratic-controlled Iowa Senate, which added money for training, but it remains bottled up in the Republican-controlled House. A similar bill died last year in the House.

'Like so many things in the legislative process, you have to have patience and you have to understand different perspectives,” Branstad said Monday.

Both bills came after Branstad hosted statewide anti-bullying summits in 2012 and 2013. On Monday, the governor said he wasn't sure if there would be a third.

State Rep. Quentin Stanerson, R-Center Point, who floor managed the House version, said there's wide agreement on most points.

'The issue is with enforcing it off school grounds,” he said. 'We're still having discussions.”

Rep. Chris Hall, D-Sioux City, said there's discussion in the Democratic caucus, too, about a provision that gives school administrators immunity if they don't act. Some lawmakers think the clause takes out the teeth in the bill, Hall said.

'We hope we can work out the differences and get an effective anti-bullying bill,” Branstad said. 'I want to make sure the school administrators feel they have the tools to combat what might occur off school grounds but does influence what happens on school grounds if a child feels intimidated or threatened.”