Student bullying and abusive behavior.
HB 1405 revises Indiana’s school bullying laws by expanding and clarifying the definition of “bullying” and by adding a separate focus on “abusive behavior,” including written, verbal, physical, sexual, and cyberbullying conduct. The bill states that bullying includes repeated unwanted acts intended to harass, ridicule, humiliate, intimidate, or harm a student and that create a hostile school environment affecting safety, health, academics, or access to school services. It also specifies several activities that may not be treated as bullying, including religious activity, emergency actions, protected First Amendment activity, supervised recreation or education programs, parent-directed activity, and interstate or international travel outside Indiana.
The bill would amend IC 20-33-8 and add new provisions to IC 20-34-6, requiring every public school and charter school to track bullying and abusive behavior involving both victims and alleged perpetrators, monitor supports for victims, and use collected information to identify patterns and high-risk students. Schools would also be required to create and maintain a grievance process for parents or emancipated minor students who believe the tracking and monitoring requirements were violated. In addition, school corporations and charter schools would have to document incidents each school year, implement targeted interventions, and begin submitting annual reports to the Department of Education, State Board of Education, and Legislative Council starting July 1, 2026. The State Board would then review those reports and issue tailored recommendations to schools with the highest frequency of incidents.
Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee testimony or votes, the measure appears to be framed as a school safety and student protection bill with an administrative accountability component. Its structure suggests a generally pro-safety, pro-intervention approach aimed at helping schools identify and reduce bullying and abusive behavior. Because no committee discussion or voting history is provided, there is no documented public sentiment beyond the bill’s apparent legislative intent.
The main potential points of contention are the expanded reporting and tracking obligations for schools, the inclusion of abusive behavior beyond traditional bullying, and the requirement to analyze student behavior and identify high-risk students. Schools may view the annual documentation, reporting, and grievance procedures as additional administrative burdens, while supporters are likely to emphasize earlier intervention, better data collection, and improved student safety. The bill also draws a boundary around protected conduct, which may be important to advocates concerned about overreach or chilling effects on religious or constitutional activity.