An Act to require the Department of Education to direct each school board to encourage each public elementary and secondary school in the local division to promote or utilize the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline to address student bullying and cyberbullying.
HB957 requires the Virginia Department of Education to direct each local school board to encourage every public elementary and secondary school in the division to promote or use the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline when addressing student bullying and cyberbullying. The bill does not create a new student discipline system or mandate direct use of the hotline in every case; instead, it establishes a statewide expectation that schools make the 988 resource part of their response to bullying-related concerns.
The measure ties school-based bullying and cyberbullying response to the existing 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, which is the state and national crisis line for mental health emergencies and suicide prevention. By incorporating 988 into school practices, the bill aims to connect students experiencing harassment, distress, or crisis with immediate support resources and to encourage awareness of crisis intervention options in elementary and secondary schools.
The bill amends state education policy by adding a directive for the Department of Education to guide school boards in promoting or utilizing the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline in bullying and cyberbullying situations. It affects public elementary and secondary schools and local school divisions, but it does not appear to change the statutory definition of bullying or cyberbullying in ยง 22.1-276.01 or impose a new enforcement mechanism. Its practical effect is to integrate crisis-line awareness into school anti-bullying responses and student support practices.
The available record shows no committee transcript or recorded vote details indicating opposition or debate, and the bill was enacted as Chapter 246. The overall sentiment appears supportive and low-conflict, consistent with a measure framed around student safety, mental health support, and anti-bullying efforts. The lack of recorded controversy suggests broad acceptance of using an established crisis resource in schools.
No specific points of contention are documented in the provided materials. Potential areas that could have raised questions, though not reflected in the record, include whether schools should be encouraged versus required to use 988, how the policy would be implemented in age-appropriate ways, and whether school staff would receive training on when to refer students to the Lifeline. Because no transcripts or votes are provided, there is no evidence of organized opposition or a split among stakeholders.