Subcommittee advances 'Charlie’s Law' to require anti‑bullying policies in private schools

Sponsor and family members told the committee SB341 would extend many existing public‑school anti‑bullying requirements to private K–12 schools, including written policies with clear definitions, staff training, reporting procedures and parent notification.

Dawn Schnell and her husband Scott described their son Charlie’s death and asked the committee to act to protect other children. "He's our 16‑year‑old son who died due to bullying," Dawn Schnell said; the personal testimony framed the bill’s intent and urgency. Senator Boyseco and others described the bill as aligning private‑school requirements with existing public‑school standards and pledged to work with stakeholders on implementation.

The committee recommended reporting SB341 to the full education committee by a 5–0 vote.