A RESOLUTION honoring the tenth anniversary of 2016 Regular Session Senate Bill 228 and recognizing its lasting impact on bullying prevention in Kentucky public schools.
Summary
SR111 is a Senate resolution that commemorates the tenth anniversary of 2016 Regular Session Senate Bill 228, the legislation that first established a clear statewide definition of bullying in Kentucky public schools. The resolution recounts the background leading to SB 228, including the work of the Kentucky Youth Bullying Prevention Task Force and its conclusion that bullying had broad effects beyond the classroom and was being underreported in part because schools lacked a consistent definition to identify it.
The resolution emphasizes that SB 228 defined bullying as unwanted verbal, physical, or social behavior involving a real or perceived power imbalance that is repeated or has the potential to be repeated. SR111 frames that definition as a major step in giving students a pathway to be heard, believed, and helped, and it highlights the law’s role in improving consistency, accountability, reporting, and response efforts across Kentucky public schools. It also notes the scale of the law’s reach, citing protection for more than 640,000 public school students each year and approximately 1.2 million students over the past decade.
As a resolution, SR111 does not change substantive law or create new duties for schools, districts, or state agencies. Its legal effect is commemorative and expressive: it formally honors the anniversary of SB 228 and recognizes its continuing influence on bullying prevention policy in Kentucky. The only operative provision directs the Senate Clerk to transmit a copy of the resolution to Senator Danny Carroll.
The general sentiment around the resolution is strongly supportive and celebratory. The bill text presents SB 228 as a successful and important reform, and the resolution was adopted by voice vote, indicating little visible opposition. The tone is appreciative of the task force’s work and of the decade of progress attributed to the bullying definition and related reporting and response improvements.
There is little evidence of contention in the available materials, and no committee transcript or recorded vote breakdown suggests disagreement. The only potential point of policy significance is the resolution’s implicit endorsement of the statewide bullying definition and the systems built around it, but the text does not identify any critics or competing views. Overall, the measure appears to have been noncontroversial and ceremonial in nature.
Impact
SR111 does not amend Kentucky statutes or impose new legal requirements; it is a commemorative resolution recognizing the impact of 2016 Regular Session Senate Bill 228. Its practical effect is to reaffirm the importance of the statewide bullying definition in Kentucky public schools and to highlight the continuing role of bullying prevention, reporting, and response practices for students, educators, and administrators.
Sentiment
The sentiment surrounding SR111 is positive and celebratory. The resolution praises the 2016 bullying law as a meaningful statewide reform and was adopted by voice vote, suggesting broad agreement and no significant opposition in the chamber. The available text frames the prior law as a successful response to a serious student safety issue.
Contention
No notable contention appears in the available record. The resolution is ceremonial, and there are no committee transcripts, recorded dissenting votes, or stated objections. The only substantive policy theme is the endorsement of a clear statewide bullying definition and the reporting/accountability framework built around it, but no opposing viewpoints are identified.
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