1 week Ago
The North Dakota Senate passed a bill Monday seeking to protect students who have endured sex-related crimes at the hands of their classmates by limiting interactions with perpetrators if both students are enrolled in the same school. House Bill 1247 originally would have required schools to expel students found guilty of sexually assaulting a peer who attends the same school. After school leaders voiced concerns about the legality of forcing a student to open-enroll, the bill was revised.
HB 1247 now includes a "safety plan" as a third option for districts that are unable to transfer the perpetrating student to another school, namely in the case of rural districts. The student on the receiving end of the offense, along with their parent or guardian, would dictate the logistics of the safety plan. The school would be responsible for determining the plan's duration and ensuring it's followed.
The bill was additionally altered to include all sexual offenses, not just assault. "It's hard to believe that, at this stage, we have not addressed this kind of situation before through legislation," Sen. Mike Wobbema, R-Valley City, said.
There was no further discussion before the Senate voted to unanimously pass the bill. Because the Senate made changes to it, the legislation will go back to the House for a second vote which was not scheduled as of Monday evening. Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox!.
