Broadens definition of "harassment, intimidation, or bullying" in Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights Act.

This bill broadens New Jersey's definition of "harassment, intimidation, or bullying" to include any act that substantially disrupts school or harms students, regardless of whether it's motivated by characteristics like race, gender, or sexual orientation. It directly affects students, school staff, and school districts across New Jersey. The bill removes the requirement that bullying must be motivated by specific characteristics, updates the model anti-bullying policy, and requires schools to report bullying incidents disaggregated by factors such as race, gender, sexual orientation, and special education status. It also eliminates a requirement for training to specifically address bullying based on protected categories, since those categories are no longer part of the definition.