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SALT LAKE CITY — Schools would be required to have a cyber bullying policy in place by 2012, under a bill approved by a Senate committee Thursday.
Under SB304, cyber bullying includes the Internet, a cell phone or another device to send or post information that harasses an individual.
Utah schools are already required to have a bullying policy. The bill, which now moves to the full Senate, would bring schools up-to-date with bullying that is occurring online, said the measure's sponsor, Sen. Ralph Okerlund.
Okerlund had previously sponsored a resolution, SJR27, that urged schools to adopt a cyber bullying policy.
The Senate Education Committee, which passed the bill unanimously, felt the bill was important enough to hold a special committee meeting, said Sen. Daniel Thatcher, R-West Valley. Regularly scheduled committee meetings ended Wednesday.
"Until we start mandating Tai Chi or Kung Fu instead of PE, I think this is a great stop-gate," Thatcher said.
E-mail: averzello@desnews.com
