House passes anti-bullying legislation. Again.

The Michigan House of Representatives on Wednesday passed HB 4580, aka Matt’s Safe School Law, a bill requiring public schools in the state to adopt a policy to prohibit harassment and bullying by students. The bill passed 76-29.

This is at least the second time the bill has passed the House, but it has in the past died in the Republican-controlled Senate. At issue in past debates on the bill was the question of enumeration — whether the bill should include a specific list of groups that often experience bullying and harassment, such as minorities and LGBT youth.

This bill, as passed by the House, prohibits bullying “in any form.” But it also includes language that defines bullying, in part, as conduct that is “reasonably perceived to be motivated by animus or by an actual or perceived characteristic.” That’s something of a compromise between a fully enumerated bill and an unenumerated bill.

In a press release, Rep. Pam Byrnes (D-Lyndon Twp.), the primary sponsor of the bill, urged the Senate to adopt the legislation and said, “No child should have to go to school terrified of what other students may do to them. Our students deserve a learning environment free of fear, where they can get a top-notch education and work toward a bright future. This plan will help raise awareness about the devastating effects of bullying and ensure that our schools have proper policies in place to protect our kids and prevent needless tragedies.”