Congress·In Committee·S. 986

Safe Schools Improvement Act Would Tie Federal K–12 Grants to Anti-Bullying Policies, Under Senate Review

A bill to address and take action to prevent bullying and harassment of students.

Also known as: Safe Schools Improvement Act

about 1 year ago·View on Congress.gov

Part of: Congress Moves to Mandate School Anti-Bullying Policies and Data Reporting

⏸

Stalled

No legislative action in over 90 days.

↔Companion bill: Congress Proposes National Anti-Bullying Standards to Protect Students in Public Schools

Legislative Progress

Senate

House

President

Law

Key Points

States taking certain federal K–12 education grant money would have to require every school district to adopt anti-bullying and anti-harassment policies.
Those local policies would have to cover bullying based on race, national origin, sex (including sexual orientation and gender identity), disability, religion, and other traits set by states or districts.
School districts would have to send yearly notices to families and staff about what behavior is banned and how to file a complaint, including who to contact and expected timelines.
Districts would have to collect and publicly report yearly school-by-school bullying incident data, while keeping students’ identities private.
States would report results to the Education Department every two years, and the federal government would run an independent evaluation and report findings to Trump and Congress on a regular schedule.

EducationCivil Rights

Impact Analysis

Personal Impact

How this policy affects specific groups of people

Positive Impacts(2)

Student

Helps

Lgbtq

Helps

Milestones

2 milestones2 actions

Mar 12, 2025Senate

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Mar 12, 2025

Introduced in Senate

What Happens Next

Projected impacts based on AI analysis

After the bill becomes law; likely within the next school year cycle

States that want to keep receiving the relevant Title IV grant funds update state rules to require district anti-bullying policies

School districts would be told they must meet the new policy, notice, complaint, and data-reporting requirements to stay aligned with state rules tied to federal funding.

At the start of each school year after implementation

School districts send annual notices to students, parents, and staff describing banned bullying/harassment and how to complain

Families get a clearer, written explanation of what’s not allowed and who to contact, instead of relying on word-of-mouth or unclear handbook language.

When districts adopt or update policies

School districts start using a formal grievance process with named officials and timelines

Parents and students can file complaints through a defined route and expect a response within stated time limits, making follow-up easier.

2026-01-01

The U.S. Education Department completes an independent evaluation and shares a national report

Parents, schools, and lawmakers would get a nationwide look at what’s working, using state-reported data and federal data checks.

Every 2 years after implementation begins

States submit reports to the U.S. Education Department every two years using district incident data

Statewide patterns can be tracked, and states may adjust training or guidance if certain types of bullying keep showing up.

Related News

5 articles

Augusta Free Press·about 1 year ago

Tim Kaine introduces legislation to prevent bullying, harassment of students

U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine introduced the Safe Schools Improvement Act, which would require states receiving federal funding to ensure local education agencies adopt evidence-based practices to prevent and respond to bullying based on race, religion, sexual orientation, and gender identity.

MPR News·over 15 years ago

Suicide surge: schools confront anti-gay bullying

The recent suicides have intensified calls on Congress to pass the Safe Schools Improvement Act. It would require schools receiving federal funds to implement bullying prevention programs that specifically address anti-gay harassment, though it faces opposition from religious conservatives.

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Psychiatric News·almost 15 years ago

Obamas Shine Spotlight on Prevention of Bullying

Sens. Mark Kirk and Bob Casey introduced the Safe Schools Improvement Act. If passed, schools receiving designated federal funds would be required to adopt codes of conduct specifically prohibiting bullying and harassment based on race, sex, disability, sexual orientation, and gender identity.

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