H. B. 2564



(By Delegates L. Smith, Anderson,



Hubbard, Hall and Manuel)



[Introduced February 26, 2001
; referred to the



Committee on Education.]
A BILL to amend article two, chapter eighteen of the code of West
Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, by
adding thereto a new section, designated section twenty-four,
relating to requiring the state board of education to propose
legislative rules designed to offer guidance and methods to
protect students from the physically harassing or threatening
behavior of other students.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

That article two, chapter eighteen of the code of West
Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, be
amended by adding thereto a new section, designated section
twenty-four, to read as follows:
ARTICLE 2. STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION.
§18-2-24. State board to propose guidelines to protect students
from other students.
The West Virginia board of education shall propose legislative
rules in accordance with the provisions of article three-b, chapter
twenty-nine-a of this code designed to provide a comprehensive
guide to the respective county boards of education and the
respective school administrations in this state relative to
providing protection to students who are physically harassed or
threatened by other students. The rules shall require that the
student harassing or threatening another student be removed and
isolated from the other student without the requirement of
suspension from school: Provided, That the proposed rules shall
provide that in-school detention may be employed to protect
students from the physical harassment or threatening behavior of
other students or that the offending student may be required to
attend an alternative school.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to require the state board
of education to propose legislative rules designed to offer
guidance and methods to protect students from the physically
harassing or threatening behavior of other students.

This section is new; therefore, strike-throughs and
underscoring have been omitted.