Ohio H.B. 19, 128^th General Assembly
Dating Violence Education in School Districts
http://www.legislature.state.oh.us/bills.cfm?ID=128_HB_19

• Requires each school district board of education to adopt a policy to address incidents of dating violence at school or school events, to provide staff training on dating violence, and to include dating violence education for grades 7 through 12 within the district's health education curriculum.
• Requires the State Board of Education to develop a model dating violence policy and standards for dating violence education curricula.

Introduced by: Representative Sandra Stabile Harwood (D), District 65
Co-Sponsors: Brown, Fende, Okey, B. Williams, Garrison, Bolon, Chandler, Phillips, Boyd, Newcomb, S. Williams, Domenick, Pillich, Harris, Murray

The bill requires each school district board of education to adopt a specific policy to address incidents of dating violence involving students at school.  For this purpose, the bill defines "at school" to mean in a classroom, on or immediately adjacent to school premises, on a school bus or other school-related vehicle, at an official school bus stop, or at any school-sponsored activity or event, whether or not it is on school grounds.  Each district board must adopt its policy within 180 days after the bill's effective date and must file it with the Department of Education.  The policy must include at least the following:  
(1) A statement that dating violence will not be tolerated;
(2) Dating violence reporting procedures;
(3) Guidelines for responding to at-school incidents of dating violence; and
(4) Discipline procedures specific to at-school incidents of dating violence.

Staff training, state curricula standards, and current policy are also addressed in this bill.

Date introduced: 2/18/09
Committee Assigned: Education, Chair: Brian G. Williams (D)