Read the full stored bill text
UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS BR 2156
Page 1 of 2
XXXX 2/19/2026 4:54 PM Jacketed
A RESOLUTION honoring the tenth anniversary of 2016 Regular Session Senate 1
Bill 228 and recognizing its lasting impact on bullying prevention in Kentucky public 2
schools. 3
WHEREAS, prior to 2016, many Kentucky students who were victims of bullying 4
were resigned to suffering in silence because there was no definition by which teachers 5
and administrators could consistently identify bullying behavior; and 6
WHEREAS, after bullying was elevated as a matter of statewide concern, the 7
Kentucky Youth Bullying Prevention Task Force was appointed in 2014 to study and 8
gain insight into the issue of bullying; and 9
WHEREAS, the final report of the task force concluded that bullying is not a 10
problem that is confined to schools only. Rather, bullying has severe, far -reaching 11
consequences that negatively impact the well -being of children, families, and 12
communities; and 13
WHEREAS, the task force further concluded that many of the problems re lated to 14
bullying, such as inconsistent understanding, reporting, and data collection, resulted from 15
the lack of a clear definition of bullying; and 16
WHEREAS, informed by the task force’s recommendations, 2016 Regular Session 17
Senate Bill 228 defined bullyin g as "any unwanted verbal, physical, or social behavior 18
among students that involves a real or perceived power imbalance and is repeated or has 19
the potential to be repeated"; and 20
WHEREAS, by establishing the first clear, statewide definition of bullying, S enate 21
Bill 228 created a pathway for students experiencing bullying to be heard, believed, and 22
helped, ensuring that their concerns could be recognized and addressed, rather than 23
dismissed or misunderstood; and 24
WHEREAS, the adoption of this definition prot ects more than 640,000 Kentucky 25
public school students each year, and over the past decade —accounting for graduating 26
classes and incoming students —has benefited approximately 1.2 million public school 27
UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS BR 2156
Page 2 of 2
XXXX 2/19/2026 4:54 PM Jacketed
students across the Commonwealth; and 1
WHEREAS, 2026 marks the tenth anniversary of the enactment of Senate Bill 228 2
and a decade of progress made possible by the clarity, consistency, and accountability 3
established through its adoption; 4
NOW, THEREFORE, 5
Be it resolved by the Senate of the Gener al Assembly of the Commonwealth of 6
Kentucky: 7
Section 1. The Senate hereby honors the tenth anniversary of 2016 Regular 8
Session Senate Bill 228 and recognizes its lasting impact on bullying prevention, 9
reporting, and response efforts in Kentucky public schools. 10
Section 2. The Clerk of the Senate is directed to transmit a copy of this 11
Resolution to Senator Danny Carroll. 12