TO AMEND THE DEFINITION OF "BULLYING"; AND TO CREATE A PROCESS WHEREBY A PUBLIC SCHOOL MAY CONDUCT MULTIPLE, SIMULTANEOUS INVESTIGATIONS INTO THE SAME ALLEGATION OF BULLYING UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES.

HB 1805 amends the definition of "bullying" within Arkansas public school antibullying policies. The revised definition specifies that bullying must involve an actual or perceived power imbalance and be repeated or have a high likelihood of repetition. The bill also establishes a process allowing public schools to investigate alleged bullying incidents under other applicable state or federal laws, rather than the specific antibullying policy, if the conduct also violates those other laws. This aims to prevent multiple, simultaneous investigations into the same alleged incident. The bill directly affects public school students, employees, and school districts in Arkansas.