California Senate approves ‘Seth’s Law,’ aimed at reducing anti-gay bullying

The California state Senate late Thursday approved “Seth’s Law,” an anti-bullying measure aimed at giving public schools tools to prevent and address bullying through mandatory policies and systems to help discourage harassment and track incidents when they do occur.

The bill, introduced by openly gay Assemblyman Tom Ammiano (D-San Francisco), is named for Seth Walsh, a 13-year-old gay teen who committed suicide last September after enduring years of bullying due to his sexual orientation.

The measure would require districts to create anti-harassment policies and programs that include bullying based on perceived or actual sexual orientation.

Schools would also be required to have a system in place to ensure all reports of bullying are taken seriously and addressed immediately.

The bill passed in the Senate by a vote of 24-14. The measure passed on June 1 in the state Assembly by a vote of 44-17. It now goes to Gov. Jerry Brown, who is expected to sign it into law.