S 5025: Updates provisions relating to dignity for all students - New York

S5025C → S5025D · 5 edits

MODERATE

This bill expands protections against harassment and bullying in New York schools by adding a new definition for 'coercive control' and updating existing definitions of harassment and bullying to include modern forms of abuse. The changes broaden the scope to cover activities outside school property and include new examples of harmful behavior like AI misuse and social media manipulation.

Scope change

The bill expands the definition of protected environments to include school-authorized activities regardless of location, including out-of-state events, and adds 'coercive control' as a protected category alongside harassment and bullying.

DEFINITION

Added new definition of 'coercive control' as a pattern of behavior used to dominate, isolate, or instill fear in another person

Updated harassment definition to include 'coercive control' alongside bullying and cyberbullying

Expanded bullying definition to include AI misuse, social media account alteration, and intentional sharing of private information

Changed harassment standard from 'unreasonably and substantially interfering' to 'unreasonably interfering' to lower the threshold for what constitutes harassment

SCOPE

Broadened school function definition to include school-authorized activities regardless of location, including out-of-state events

S5025B → S5025C · 4 edits

MODERATE

This bill version update includes technical formatting changes and a minor correction to the bill's procedural text. The most significant change is the removal of 'paragraph l' from the list of sections being amended in Section 4, which means one specific requirement from the previous version is no longer being modified in this version. The bill's core definitions and requirements regarding harassment and bullying remain unchanged.

Scope change

The bill's scope remains the same, but the specific sections of the Education Law being amended were slightly adjusted by removing one paragraph reference.

TECHNICAL

The bill number was updated from S 5025-B to S 5025-C, indicating a new version of the legislation.

Procedural text regarding committee actions was restructured with additional dashes and formatting changes.

The page number reference was updated from LBD07978-05-5 to LBD07978-08-5, reflecting a different version of the document.

REQUIREMENT

Paragraph 'l' was removed from the list of sections being amended in Section 4, meaning one specific requirement from the previous version is no longer being modified in this version.

S5025A → S5025B · 3 edits

MINOR

This bill version (S5025B) includes minor formatting and procedural updates compared to the previous version (S5025A). The main substantive change is the removal of an appropriation provision, meaning the bill no longer includes funding requests. The bill's scope and policy content regarding dignity for all students remain unchanged.

Scope change

The bill's substantive scope regarding student dignity protections remains the same; only the funding request was removed.

FISCAL

Removed the provision requesting appropriation of funds to support the bill's purposes.

TECHNICAL

Adjusted the committee recommitment language to clarify the procedural sequence.

Updated bill number from S5025-A to S5025-B and changed page numbering in the footer.

S5025 → S5025A · 6 edits

MODERATE

This bill amends New York's education law to update definitions and requirements related to harassment, bullying, and discrimination in schools. The changes clarify what constitutes harassment and bullying, including cyberbullying, and expand where these protections apply to include off-campus situations that could disrupt the school environment. The bill also reorganizes sections of the education law and adds new definitions for key terms.

Scope change

Expanded applicability to include off-campus conduct that could foreseeably disrupt the school environment, and clarified definitions to explicitly include cyberbullying.

DEFINITION

Updated definition of 'harassment' to explicitly include cyberbullying and expanded scope to cover conduct occurring off school property that could foreseeably disrupt the school environment.

Added new definition for 'cyberbullying' as harassment or bullying occurring through electronic communication including cell phones, email, social media, or text messaging.

Added new definition for 'bullying' as a pattern of repeated aggressive acts targeting vulnerable individuals, distinguishing it from general conflict or aggression.

REQUIREMENT

Reorganized and renumbered sections of the education law, changing references from section 10 to section 11 and from section 13 to section 12, while maintaining similar substantive requirements.

SCOPE

Added definition of 'school function' to include school-sponsored extra-curricular events or activities, and school board or trustee meetings.

TECHNICAL

Changed bill title from S 5025 to S 5025-A and updated committee assignment language to reflect committee discharge and amendment process.

Updates provisions relating to dignity for all students

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