An amended version of legislation that stiffens Georgia's anti-bullying laws passed in the last hours of the Senate's 2010 session and now awaits Gov. Sonny Perdue's signature.
Gov. Perdue's spokesman, Chris Schrimpf, said this week that the governor and his staff have 40 days to review the bill, but that he "has not indicated one way or the other" whether he will sign or veto it.
The governor's education and legal advisors will review the measure over the next few weeks to make sure it has no "unintended consequences," Mr. Schrimpf said.
The bill started in the House as HB 927 and appeared to be stalled for the year when it didn't get a vote on Crossover Day, the 30th legislative day of the session and the last day bills can pass from one chamber to another.
But the bill's House sponsor, Rep. Mike Jacobs, R-Atlanta, found a Senate bill, SB 250, that revived the legislation.
The Senate bill, aimed at unruly behavior on school buses and on school property, dealt with a related state law, which allowed him to add his bill's anti-bullying language, Rep. Jacobs said.
The Senate bill passed 44-0 at 9:30 p.m. on the last day of the 2010 Legislative session on April 29, he said.
Sen. Jeff Mullis, R-Chickamauga, said the Senate's late vote might have been hasty.
"Unfortunately, on the last day of session, that late in the evening, a lot of things can be pushed through that have unintended consequences, and this could be one of those bills," Sen. Mullis said.
But current laws still need reform, he said.
"I have young kids in school and there is bullying going on, and sometimes there's a reluctance in taking care of those issues," he said. "I would agree there needed to be some upgrading, however the bill probably is a little overreaching."
Rep. Jacobs said the bill "offers a more accurate definition of what bullying is. It requires school systems to put in place age-appropriate consequences in grades K-12, whereas the current law applies only to grades 6-12."
CURRENT GEORGIA BULLYING LAW* Applicable to students in grades 6-12* Students found bullying third time in school year are sent to alternative school* Requires that policies against bullying be posted in all middle and high schools* Requires that bullying policies be included in student and parent handbooksANTI-BULLYING BILL UPDATESIf signed by Gov. Sonny Perdue, SB 250:* Broadens laws to cover grades K-12* Adds cyberspace communications to definitions of bullying* Requires school systems to adopt a policy against bullying* Requires notification of the bully's parents or guardians about incidents* Requires notification of the victim's parents or guardians about incidents* Requires the state to develop a model anti-bullying policy* Provides guidance to school systems on reporting and investigating bullying incidentsSource: Georgia General Assembly
The bill also requires notification of parents on both sides of a bullying incident and requires the Georgia Department of Education to create a model anti-bullying policy that local school systems can adopt "out of the box," he said.
But the House version was opposed by some House members because of its potential impact on local control, he said.
Rep. Martin Scott, R-Rossville, was among 55 House members who voted not to attach HB 927's language to the Senate bill.
"I'm a big believer in local control. I felt like it was a little too heavy-handed from a state perspective," Rep. Scott said.
"My objection is not an objection to the notion of protecting children from bullies and punishing bullies," he said. "Schools and teachers and administrators need to run a tight ship and they need to protect children.
"But I think that can be handled at the local level," he said.
Rep. Charlice Byrd, R-Woodstock, another opponent of the bill, said it "increases the size and authority of government."
"Parents already have the authority to discipline their own children," she said.
She said she was bullied as a child of a mixed-race couple.
"Back in 1954, when I started going to grammar school, my parents had married as a biracial family -- Chinese and American," she said. "I was bullied for years because I had different-colored skin and different eyes."
On most occasions, "I never give anybody the satisfaction that they bothered me," she said.
But Rep. Jacobs said the measure is "common sense."
"It's a marked improvement on the current Georgia statute governing bullying, and it still respects the local control of local school systems," he said.
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