Bill to Protect Students, Prevent Discrimination and Harassment in Schools Clears Senate

Bill would place Colorado in compliance with state Title IX

DENVER, CO – Today, the Senate passed Senator Janice Marchman, D-Loveland, and Assistant Majority Leader Faith Winter’s, D-Broomfield, legislation that would better protect students by developing best practices for public schools to effectively respond to reports of harassment or discrimination.

SB24-162 would require the Department of Education to partner with an organization to develop best practices and training related to discrimination and harassment in public schools, including protocols relating to notifying students and parents about school policies and procedures, processing reports, and implementing trauma-informed responses. Additionally, the department would provide harassment and discrimination training program materials for schools.

"As a teacher, I know how important it is that each and every child feels safe and included in their school,” said Marchman. “That’s why we championed legislation last year to bolster Title IX, and this bill will bring Colorado into compliance with the requirement that districts implement specific policies around harassment and discrimination by July of this year. Having an unsafe and unhealthy learning environment can impact students mentally and emotionally, as well as negatively affecting their learning outcomes. With this bill, we can give schools the resources they need to prevent and remedy harassment in a trauma-informed way through a free training provided free of charge for all schools in Colorado.”

“SB-162 is a proactive and comprehensive approach to combating discrimination and harassment in our schools,” Winter said. “Last year we progressed on making our schools a more welcoming, inclusive place for students, and this bill ensures the success of the legislation we previously passed.”

The bill now heads to the House for further consideration. Follow its progress HERE.