Indiana lawmaker takes aim at teen suicides with anti-bullying bill

INDIANAPOLIS, In. (WXIX) - An anti-bullying bill is one step closer to becoming law in Indiana.

House Bill 1483 would require schools to investigate all reports of bullying and notify the parents of every student involved. It would require school districts to transfer a bully to a different school in extreme cases. The victim could also choose to transfer to another building in the district, according to Rep. Vernon Smith, who authored the bill.

The bill comes after a 12-year-old who battled alopecia died by suicide after she was bullied by her classmate

According to the Indiana Department of Education, there were 5,103 reports of bullying during the 2021-2022 school year.

Teachers, parents, and anti-bullying advocates packed into a committee hearing for HB 1483 on Friday.

Smith said he was inspired to write the bill after seeing the rise in suicide rates among teenagers across the nation.

“I don’t know if this is going to be the fix for the problem, but I hope it will help,” he said.

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