HB 240: "An Act requiring school districts to adopt a digital harassment and nonconsensual digital impersonation policy; and providing for an effective date."
00 HOUSE BILL NO. 240 01 "An Act requiring school districts to adopt a digital harassment and nonconsensual 02 digital impersonation policy; and providing for an effective date." 03 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 04 * Section 1. AS 14.33.200(a) is amended to read: 05 (a) Each [BY JULY 1, 2007, EACH] school district shall adopt a policy that 06 prohibits the harassment, intimidation, or bullying of any student. The policy shall 07 specifically address and prohibit digital harassment and nonconsensual digital 08 impersonation. Each school district shall share this policy with parents or guardians, 09 students, volunteers, and school employees. 10 * Sec. 2. AS 14.33.200(c) is amended to read: 11 (c) The [BY JANUARY 1, 2007, THE] department, in consultation with 12 representatives of parents or guardians, school personnel, and other interested parties, 13 may provide to school districts a model harassment, intimidation, and bullying 14 prevention policy and training materials on the components that should be included in
01 a district policy. If provided, training materials provided under this subsection 02 must include training materials specifically related to digital harassment and 03 nonconsensual digital impersonation. Training materials may be disseminated in a 04 variety of ways, including workshops and other staff developmental activities, and 05 through the Internet website of the department. Materials included on the Internet 06 website must include the model policy and recommended training and instructional 07 materials. The department may provide a link to the school district's Internet website 08 for further information. 09 * Sec. 3. AS 14.33.210 is amended to read: 10 Sec. 14.33.210. Reporting of incidents of harassment, intimidation, or 11 bullying. Each [BEGINNING WITH THE 2007 - 2008 SCHOOL YEAR, EACH] 12 school district shall report to the department by November 30 all incidents resulting in 13 suspension or expulsion for harassment, intimidation, or bullying on school premises 14 or on transportation systems used by schools, and incidents of digital harassment or 15 nonconsensual digital impersonation involving students in the school year 16 preceding the report. The department shall compile the data and report it to the 17 appropriate committees of the Alaska House of Representatives and the Senate. 18 * Sec. 4. AS 14.33.220 is amended to read: 19 Sec. 14.33.220. Reporting; no reprisals. (a) A school employee, student, or 20 volunteer may not engage in reprisal, retaliation, or false accusation against a victim, 21 witness, or person with reliable information about an act of harassment, intimidation, 22 or bullying. 23 (b) A school employee, student, or volunteer who has witnessed, or has 24 reliable information that a student has been subjected to, harassment, intimidation, or 25 bullying, whether verbal or physical, shall report the incident to an appropriate school 26 official. 27 (c) This section does not prohibit discipline or other adverse action taken in 28 compliance with school district policies against a person who falsely and in bad faith 29 accuses a person of engaging in harassment, intimidation, or bullying or who 30 intentionally provides false information in connection with an investigation of an 31 alleged incident of harassment, intimidation, [OR] bullying, or nonconsensual digital
01 impersonation. 02 * Sec. 5. AS 14.33.230 is amended to read: 03 Sec. 14.33.230. Immunity from suit. A school employee, student, or 04 volunteer who reports an incident of harassment, intimidation, [OR] bullying, or 05 nonconsensual digital impersonation to a school official and who makes this report 06 in good faith is immune from a cause of action for damages arising from a failure to 07 remedy the reported incident or for making the report. 08 * Sec. 6. AS 14.33.250 is amended by adding a new paragraph to read: 09 (4) "nonconsensual digital impersonation" means a computer- 10 generated visual representation or audio recording of an actual, identifiable individual 11 or the individual's voice that 12 (A) has been created, adapted, or modified to closely resemble 13 a real visual representation or audio record of the individual; 14 (B) materially misrepresents the appearance, speech, or 15 behavior of the individual in a way that changes the fundamental character of 16 the individual's appearance, speech, or behavior; 17 (C) is likely to deceive a reasonable person to believe that the 18 visual representation or audio recording is genuine; and 19 (D) is created and distributed without the consent of the 20 individual. 21 * Sec. 7. This Act takes effect January 1, 2027.