{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://cartwright.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/cartwright-introduces-legislation-to-protect-our-children-from-bullying", "Cartwright Introduces Legislation to Protect Our Children from Bullying, Ensure Schools Districts Are on Notice", "2016-09-09", "2016", "2016-09", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Matt Cartwright", "C001090", "cartwright.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 Today, U.S. Representative Matt Cartwright introduced the Bullying Redress and Verified Enforcement (BRAVE) Act, legislation that would address bullying behavior within schools.\nAccording to the Department of Health and Human Services, 1 in 3 students say they have been bullied at school.\u00a0 Moreover, 1 out of 10 students who drops out of school does so because of repeated bullying.\n\u201cBullying can have destructive consequences on our children and their education,\u201d Rep. Cartwright said.\u00a0 \u201cAs a parent and a Member of Congress, I believe we must take steps to create a school environment that prevents bullying and where our children can feel safe.\u201d\nIn 2014, Robin Zotynia of Plainfield Township lost her 14-year-old daughter to suicide as a result of incessant bullying at school.\u00a0 An eighth-grader at Wind Gap Middle School at the time, Courtney had her first experience with bullying in sixth grade.\u00a0 The family tried to get Courtney help, putting her in different programs and sending her to several psychiatrists.\u00a0 But her mom said she wasn\u2019t getting what she needed.\nCurrently, bullying laws exist in all fifty states, including Pennsylvania, but these laws provide varying levels of protection.\u00a0\nThe bill requires school personnel to report instances of bullying in order to increase their awareness of the problem and oversight in schools.\u00a0 Requiring districts to keep accurate records may make it easier for students to demonstrate that the district has a policy or custom of allowing bullying to occur, facilitating litigation and enabling students to pressure the school district for equal protection in the courts.\u00a0 If schools fail to comply, the bill establishes a procedure to submit complaints to the Office of Civil Rights for the Department of Education, allowing parents and students to hold the districts accountable and prevent further bullying.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["http://cartwright.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/cartwright-introduces-legislation-to-protect-our-children-from-bullying"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.0094290375709534, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}