H.R. 1810: Safe Schools Improvement Act

H.R. 1810 adds a new part to Title IV of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. If a state receives covered federal education grants, it would have to require every local school district to adopt policies that prevent and prohibit bullying and harassment.

Those policies cannot be vague. They must list specific protected traits: race, color, national origin, sex, disability, and religion. The bill defines sex to include sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex characteristics, including intersex traits. The bill's findings cite research showing that schools with enumerated policies see higher reporting rates and more teacher intervention, which reduces the overall frequency of incidents.

Beyond the policy language, the bill builds an accountability structure. Districts would have to notify families annually about what conduct is banned, designate officials to receive complaints, and set timelines for resolving them. They would also have to collect school-level data on bullying incidents and publish it publicly — without identifying individual students.

States would submit reports to the U.S. Department of Education every two years. The federal government would conduct its own independent biennial evaluation to measure whether the policies are actually reducing bullying and improving school climate.

The bill does not replace existing civil rights law. It explicitly says it adds to — rather than overrides — protections under Title VI, Title IX, Section 504, and the ADA. It also includes a clause preserving existing First Amendment standards for free speech.