The Illinois Senate Education Committee May 13 passed a bill that further enhances the state's previous standards in curbing school bullying.
The bill, HB 5707, introduced in the House by state Rep. Kelly Cassidy and sponsored in the Senate by state Sen. Heather Steans, requires schools to have an anti-bullying policy, investigate bullying cases and report back on all incidents yearly. The bill passed the committee 10-4 and now heads to the full Senate.
HB 5707 passed the House in April with a bipartisan 64-43 vote.
In a statement, Bernard Cherkasov, CEO of Equality Illinois, urged state residents to contact their senators about the bill, so that it might be voted on before the General Assembly adjourns May 31.
"We need to strengthen anti-bullying efforts in Illinois by creating standards that all school districts must follow. All students should be able to go to school in a safe and welcoming environment," said Cherkasov. "The measure received bipartisan support when it passed the House; let's make sure it passes with the ceiling in the Senate."
In March, Cassidy told Windy City Times that the new bill deters schools from sweeping past reports of bullies under the rug.
"What I hear from people so often, when they speak with schools or police, is that they are often told, 'You are the first ones this has happened to'that opens the door to blaming the victim.," Cassidy said. "With this, you can go back and verify that something else happened on a particular date."