I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 6135 
To implement title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 with respect 
to elementary and secondary schools, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 1, 2023 
Mr. CASTEN (for himself, Ms. LOIS FRANKEL of Florida, Ms. NORTON, Mr. 
LYNCH, Mrs. RAMIREZ, and Ms. TITUS) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce 
A BILL 
To implement title IX of the Education Amendments of 
1972 with respect to elementary and secondary schools, 
and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Stop Sexual Harass-
ment in K–12 Act’’. 
SEC. 2. TITLE IX COORDINATOR. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—For each local educational agency 
that receives Federal financial assistance, the following re-
quirements shall apply: 
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(1) The recipient shall increase the number of 
full-time employees designated to serve as a Title IX 
Coordinator by at least one per— 
(A) 75,000 students in 7th grade or above 
served by the recipient; and 
(B) 150,000 students in 6th grade or 
below served by the recipient. 
(2) The recipient shall ensure that students, 
parents and guardians of students, and staff are 
made aware of these employees, their role, and the 
times at which they are available to meet. 
(3) A Title IX Coordinator shall not have any 
other school-related responsibilities that may create 
a conflict of interest, including serving in the school 
administrative leadership or local educational agency 
administrative leadership (such as serving as a prin-
cipal, vice principal, headmaster, superintendent, 
board member, general counsel, or athletics direc-
tor). 
(4) A Title IX Coordinator, along with a prin-
cipal, campus security, bus driver, teacher, counselor 
or social worker, equity officer, coach, or any other 
staff member, shall be considered an appropriate 
person to whom to disclose discrimination on the 
basis of sex for purposes of the legal standards 
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under title IX of the Education Amendments of 
1972 (20 U.S.C. 1681 et seq.). 
(b) DUTIES.—Each Title IX Coordinator for a local 
educational agency shall ensure the local educational agen-
cy’s compliance under Federal policies against discrimina-
tion on the basis of sex, including title IX of the Education 
Amendments of 1972 (20 U.S.C. 1681 et seq.), by doing 
the following: 
(1) Providing information and outreach so that 
every individual receives sufficient and accessible in-
formation designed to make them aware of their 
rights under Federal, State, and local laws and poli-
cies against discrimination on the basis of sex, in-
cluding title IX of the Education Amendments of 
1972 (20 U.S.C. 1681 et seq.) and the regulations 
promulgated to carry out such title, and that the 
local educational agency and its employees comply 
with those laws and policies, including receiving 
training on the laws and policies. 
(2) Ensuring that notices of nondiscrimination, 
relevant policies and grievance procedures, and cur-
rent contact information of all Title IX Coordinators 
are disseminated broadly and in an age-appropriate 
manner accessible to all students, parents, guard-
ians, and employees and applicants for admission or 
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employment, 
including 
prominently 
on 
school 
websites and in school handbooks. 
(3) Monitoring complaints alleging discrimina-
tion based on sex (including sexual orientation, gen-
der identity, sex characteristics (including intersex 
traits), pregnancy, childbirth, a medical condition re-
lated to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual as-
sault, sexual violence, stalking, pregnancy or related 
conditions, and a sex stereotype), domestic violence, 
dating violence, sexual assault, sexual violence, stalk-
ing, and sex-based harassment, including supportive 
measures offered to complainants, reasonable accom-
modations for complainants and respondents with 
disabilities, and the outcomes of complaints. 
(4) Identifying patterns of discrimination on 
the basis of sex from complaints and addressing its 
impact on the school community. 
(5) Monitoring the education program or activ-
ity for barriers to reporting information about con-
duct that may constitute discrimination on the basis 
of sex and taking steps reasonably calculated to ad-
dress such barriers. 
(6) Coordinating dissemination, collection, and 
analysis of climate surveys, including the survey de-
scribed in section 4, and identifying and proactively 
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addressing discrimination on the basis of sex in the 
local educational agency based on the results of cli-
mate surveys. 
(7) Overseeing age-appropriate, accessible, and 
trauma-informed annual sex-based harassment pre-
vention education and training for students, employ-
ees, volunteers, contractors, and other government 
employees who work in or with the local educational 
agency. 
(8) Ensuring that prevention education and 
training is inclusive of diverse communities and 
identities, informed by research, and conducted in 
partnership with local rape crisis centers, State sex-
ual assault coalitions or domestic violence coalitions, 
or community organizations that work on addressing 
discrimination on the basis of sex, including sex- 
based harassment in schools. 
(c) WAIVER AUTHORIZED.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—A local educational agency 
that receives Federal financial assistance may re-
quest a waiver from the Secretary of one or more of 
the requirements under thus section on the basis 
that the requirement poses an insurmountable finan-
cial burden to the recipient and the recipient has 
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been unable to secure sufficient grants under sub-
section (d). 
(2) ALTERNATIVE PLAN.—The waiver process 
shall include requiring the recipient to submit an al-
ternative plan for ensuring students are aware of 
their rights under title IX of the Education Amend-
ments of 1972 (20 U.S.C. 1681 et seq.) and have 
access to a Title IX Coordinator. At the very min-
imum within their alternative plan, the recipient 
shall establish a partnership, through a memo-
randum of understanding, with a local rape crisis 
center or a national or community-based organiza-
tion that specializes in trauma or crisis management 
and support. The memorandum of understanding 
shall establish a clear delineation of the roles and re-
sponsibilities of the partners, which shall also in-
clude providing prevention training and supporting 
measures when addressing reports about incidents of 
sex-based harassment. 
(3) 
FAILURE
TO
FOLLOW
ALTERNATIVE 
PLAN.—If the Secretary determines (based on a sub-
mitted complaint or otherwise) that a recipient has 
such a waiver approved but has not followed their al-
ternative plan, or if the Secretary determines that 
their plan was insufficient to prevent and respond to 
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sex-based harassment and assault, the Secretary 
shall attempt a voluntary resolution. If a voluntary 
resolution is not possible during a reasonable period 
of time, the Secretary shall take such action as may 
be appropriate to withhold Federal financial assist-
ance. A waiver granted under this subsection shall 
be valid for 2 years. 
(d) GRANTS.—To carry out this section, there are au-
thorized to be appropriated such sums as may be nec-
essary for each of the first five fiscal year that begin after 
the effective date in subsection (e) for grants to local edu-
cational agencies to offset the financial burden of satis-
fying the requirements of this section. In making grants 
under this subsection, the Secretary shall give priority to 
local educational agencies that otherwise would face a high 
financial burden in fulfilling such requirements. 
(e) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This section shall take effect 
1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act. 
SEC. 3. GRANTS FOR TRAINING ON HOW TO RESPOND TO 
SIGNS OF SEX-BASED HARASSMENT AND AS-
SAULT OF STUDENTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary is authorized to 
make grants to local educational agencies to train elemen-
tary school and secondary school teachers and other school 
staff on how to prevent, recognize, and respond to signs 
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of sex-based harassment and assault among students or 
between students and adults. 
(b) APPLICATIONS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Any local educational agency 
desiring to receive a grant under this section for any 
fiscal year shall submit an application to the Sec-
retary at such time and in such manner as the Sec-
retary may require. Each such application shall— 
(A) include a plan to provide the training 
described in subsection (a); and 
(B) demonstrate how the grant funds will 
be used to meet the needs for such training. 
(2) DEADLINE.—The Secretary shall award 
grants under this section not later than 6 months 
after the deadline for grant application submission 
established under paragraph (1). 
(c) EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION.—To the extent prac-
ticable, in awarding grants under this section, the Sec-
retary shall— 
(1) ensure an equitable geographic distribution 
of grants under this section, including the distribu-
tion of such grants between rural and urban areas; 
and 
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