Safe Schools Improvement Act
H.R. 1648 & S. 506
The Problem
Bullying and harassment of students who are, or are perceived to be, lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT) is widespread. While current federal law provides important support to promote school safety, it does not comprehensively and expressly focus on issues of bullying or harassment, and in no way addresses the unique challenges faced by LGBT youth. Studies have shown that bullying and harassment of LGBT youth in schools contributes to high rates of absenteeism, dropout, adverse health consequences and academic underachievement. When left unchecked, such bullying and harassment can lead to, and has led to, dangerous situations for young people.
In the 2009 National School Climate Survey conducted by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), nearly three-fifths of students reported feeling unsafe at school because of their sexual orientation, and more than a third felt unsafe because of their gender expression. In addition, 84.6 percent of LGBT students reported being verbally harassed, 40.1 percent reported being physically harassed and 18.8 percent reported being physically assaulted at school in the past year because of their sexual orientation. Moreover, 63.7 percent of LGBT students reported being verbally harassed, 27.2 percent reported being physically harassed and 12.5 percent reported being physically assaulted at school in the past year because of their gender expression. LGBT students, like all other students, deserve a healthy school environment.
What is the Safe Schools Improvement Act?
The Safe Schools Improvement Act (SSIA) would amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act to require schools and districts receiving federal funds to adopt codes of conduct specifically prohibiting bullying and harassment, including on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. The SSIA would also require that states report data on bullying and harassment to the Department of Education. Additionally, the SSIA would require the Department of Education to provide Congress with a report on the state reported data, along with other specified data, every two years.
Broad Support from Educators and Administrators
Numerous education, health, law enforcement and youth development organizations support federal legislation to combat bullying and harassment, including the American Association of School Administrators, American Federation of Teachers, American School Health Association, National Association of School Psychologists, National Education Association, and National Parent Teacher Association.
Wht is the Current Status of the Bill?
The SSIA was reintroduced in the Senate by Sens. Robert Casey (D-PA) and Mark Kirk (R-IL) on March 8, 2011 and in the House by Representative Linda Sánchez (D-CA) on April 15, 2011.
For more information, please contact legislation@hrc.org.
Last Updated: Friday, April 22, 2011