Best Practices to Prevent Discrimination in Schools

The act requires the department of education (department) to enter into an agreement with an organization (selected organization) to develop best practices for local education providers to effectively respond to reports of harassment or discrimination. The department shall convene an evaluation committee to select the organization. The evaluation committee consists of representatives from school districts, an organization that advocates for students who face harassment or discrimination, and the office of school safety; persons with lived experience of harassment or discrimination; and students. The selected organization shall submit a report to the department, the office of school safety, and the general assembly's education committees that includes an explanation of the best practices developed by the selected organization. Current law requires public schools to provide training to all employees about harassment and discrimination, beginning no later than July 1, 2024. The act repeals that deadline and instead requires harassment and discrimination training beginning with employee training for the 2025-26 school year, but beginning no later than December 31, 2025. The act requires that harassment and discrimination training that occurs after August 1, 2025, be consistent with the best practices developed by the selected organization. The act requires the selected organization to develop a harassment or discrimination training program for use by schools that is consistent with the best practices developed by the selected organization and that complies with the requirements for public schools' harassment and discrimination training. The department shall make the training program materials available to public schools at no cost. The act appropriates $111,111 from the state education fund to the department for training for local education providers on responding to harassment and discrimination reports. APPROVED by Governor June 6, 2024 EFFECTIVE June 6, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)