Purpose

Designate a statewide awareness day to highlight and address bullying, harassment, and defamation. The day aims to recognize how these issues affect safety, wellbeing, learning, productivity, and health for students, employees, and community members, and to promote educational efforts and resources to reduce them.

Main Provisions

• The day designated: February 13 of each year as Minnesota AntiBullying AntiHarassment and Defamation Awareness Day.
• Encouragement to observe the day with activities such as educational programs, employee training, student assemblies, respectful behavior campaigns, prevention tools, and supportive services addressing bullying, harassment, and reputational harm caused by false statements.
• The Governor may promote and encourage observance of the day to educate the public.

Definitions

• bullying: repeated aggressive behavior or unwanted conduct with an imbalance of power, including electronic or cyberbullying.
• harassment: unwelcome behavior based on actual or perceived traits or characteristics that interferes with a person’s ability to participate in school or work environments.
• defamation: false statements of fact communicated to others that harm a person’s reputation.

Observance and Scope

• The provisions apply to the designated day and related activities, with a focus on reducing bullying, harassment, and defamation through education and supportive measures in schools, workplaces, and communities.

Legal Effect and Limitations

• Subdivision 3 clarifies that nothing in this section creates a new legal claim, expands liability, or changes existing legal standards or definitions related to defamation or free speech.

Significance

• The measure creates a formal observance without expanding liability or altering existing defamation or free-speech protections.
• It codifies specific terms and their definitions for purposes of this awareness day.

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Relevant Terms - Minnesota AntiBullying AntiHarassment and Defamation Awareness Day - February 13 - anti-bullying, anti-harassment, defamation - bullying, cyberbullying, electronic bullying - harassment - defamation - imbalance of power - reputational harm / damage to reputation - false statements of fact - schools, employers, state agencies, community organizations - educational programs, employee training, student assemblies - Governor (promote observance) - prevention tools, supportive services - free speech, defamation liability (not changed)