Antibullying Bill Passes N.Y. Assembly

For the ninth time since 2002, the New York state assembly last week passed the Dignity For All Students Act (DASA), which would protect youths from antigay bullying and discrimination in schools. The measure passed the Democratic-controlled chamber with a strong bipartisan majority.

According to a news release from assembly member Daniel O'Donnell, the gay member who sponsored the bill, implementation of DASA could help New York state in the competition to win federal education funding.

"Recently, the New York Civil Liberties Union championed the measure and released its analysis that enacting DASA could boost New York's 'Race to the Top' score by 7-15 points," said the O'Donnell news release, which the Erie Gay News posted. "DASA requires reporting on all bullying incidents, which meets the U.S. Department of Education's emphasis on capturing data that impacts student achievement. A successful application in this second round could net New York up to $700 million in education funding."

The bill now moves to the closely divided senate, where it has languished.