HB 384-FN - AS INTRODUCED
2025 SESSION
25-0102
02/09
HOUSE BILL 384-FN
AN ACT prohibiting bullying in schools.
SPONSORS: Rep. Leishman, Hills. 33; Rep. Wallner, Merr. 19; Rep. Rice, Hills. 38
COMMITTEE: Education Policy and Administration
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ANALYSIS
This bill requires school districts and chartered public schools to adopt a policy requiring schools to schedule conferences and develop action plans with parents and guardians of alleged bullying perpetrators, and provides for the enforcement of such action plans.
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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.
Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]
Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
25-0102
02/09
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty Five
AN ACT prohibiting bullying in schools.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 New Paragraph; Pupil Safety and Violence Prevention; Bullying Resolution Conference Required. Amend RSA 193-F:4 by inserting after paragraph II the following new paragraph:
II-a. The school board of each school district and the board of trustees of a chartered public school shall, no later than 6 months after the effective date of this paragraph, adopt a written policy requiring the scheduling of bullying resolution conferences following the occurrence of a bullying or cyberbullying incident pursuant to paragraph I. The policy shall contain, at a minimum, the following components:
(a) Within 10 days of notification pursuant to subparagraph II-a(j), the school bullying officer, appointed pursuant to RSA 194-F:11, shall schedule a bullying resolution conference with the parent(s) or guardian(s) of the perpetrator and applicable school personnel. The conference shall occur even if the parent(s) or guardian(s) decline to participate or fail to attend.
(b) Following the conference, the bullying officer shall develop a written bullying action plan that details the actions that shall be taken by the perpetrator, the perpetrator's parent(s) or guardians(s), and school personnel, and which shall include, at a minimum:
(1) Attendance by the parent(s) or guardian(s) of the perpetrator in at least one instruction course that includes:
(A) The definition of bullying;
(B) Prevention strategies;
(C) Ways to talk to the perpetrator about bullying; and
(D) Evidence-based methods for resolving the underlying causes of bullying.
(2) Participation of the perpetrator in an age-appropriate anti-bullying class or workshop that includes:
(A) The impacts of bullying;
(B) The root causes of bullying; and
(C) Constructive conflict resolution strategies and coping mechanisms.
(c) Upon the subsequent occurrence of an incident investigated by the bullying officer and determined to be an act of bullying by the perpetrator against another pupil, the bullying officer shall notify the parent(s) or guardian(s) of the perpetrator and the bullying officer shall file a petition alleging that the perpetrator is a child in need of services pursuant to RSA 169-D:2, II(f).
2 New Section; Bullying Officer; Appointment; Duties. Amend RSA 193-F by inserting after section 10 the following new section:
193-F:11 Bullying Officer; Appointment; Duties.
I. School boards and boards of trustees of chartered public schools shall appoint bullying officers for their districts or chartered public schools.
II. Bullying officers shall, when directed by the school board or board of trustees, enforce the policies adopted by the school board or board of trustees pursuant to RSA 193-F:4, II-a.
III. A bullying officer or school official shall not file a petition alleging that the child is in need of services pursuant to RSA 169-D:2, II(f) until all steps in the school district's or chartered public school's intervention process under RSA 193-F:4, II-a have been followed.
3 New Subparagraph; Definitions; Child in Need of Services; Bullying Perpetrator. Amend RSA 169-D:2, II by inserting after subparagraph (e) the following new subparagraph:
(f) Who has committed a subsequent act of bullying or cyberbullying investigated by the bullying officer and determined to be an act of bullying by the perpetrator against another pupil.
4 Effective Date. This act shall take effect January 1, 2026.
25-0102
12/5/24
HB 384-FN- FISCAL NOTE
AS INTRODUCED
AN ACT prohibiting bullying in schools.
FISCAL IMPACT: This bill does not provide funding, nor does it authorize new positions.
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Estimated State Impact | ||||||
| FY 2025 | FY 2026 | FY 2027 | FY 2028 | ||
Revenue | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | ||
Revenue Fund(s) | None | |||||
Expenditures* | $0 | $264,000 | $421,860 | $438,640 | ||
Funding Source(s) | General Fund | |||||
Appropriations* | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | ||
Funding Source(s) | None | |||||
*Expenditure = Cost of bill *Appropriation = Authorized funding to cover cost of bill | ||||||
Estimated Political Subdivision Impact | ||||
| FY 2025 | FY 2026 | FY 2027 | FY 2028 |
County Revenue | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
County Expenditures | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Local Revenue | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Local Expenditures | $0 | Indeterminable | Indeterminable | Indeterminable |
METHODOLOGY:
This bill requires school districts to take steps to prevent and address bullying in public schools. In addition, the bill amends statute by identifying bullying perpetrators as children in need of services (CHINS) under RSA 169-D. The Department of Health and Human Services states that in FY24, there were 695 total CHINS referrals, of which 448 were made by school districts. Assuming the bill results in a ten percent increase in school district referrals, and further assuming an average caseload of 16 CHINS per Juvenile Probation Parole Office (JPPO), the Department anticipates needing an additional three JPPOs to handle the increased workload. The Department further anticipates an average cost per case of $1,734 for voluntary services (based on FY24 expenditures) with 6 percent annual increases, as well as a one-time $15,000 cost to update the child welfare management information system. In total, these costs are as follows:
| FY26 | FY27 | FY28 |
3 New JPPOs | $171,000 | $339,000 | $351,000 |
Voluntary Services for 45 New Cases | $78,000 | $82,680 | $87,640 |
One-Time System Changes | $15,000 | $0 | $0 |
Total: | $264,000 | $421,860 | $438,640 |
The Department of Education notes that the bill requires local school districts to appoint bullying officers, but states that it is unclear whether districts will be able to utilize existing employees for this purpose. The Department expects costs to municipalities to be minimal.
AGENCIES CONTACTED:
Departments of Education and Health and Human Services