PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in House · Sep 8, 2016
Bullying Redress and Verified Enforcement Act or the BRAVE Act
This bill amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to require a local educational agency (LEA) employee who becomes aware of bullying to report to an LEA-designated individual, within seven business days: (1) the acts that constituted the bullying; (2) the victim's protected characteristic, whether actual or perceived, if the bullying included a reference to or was motivated by such characteristic; and (3) the response of the LEA's employees to the bullying.
The LEA-designated individual must, within 60 days after receiving such a report, inform all the LEA's employees of the acts described and the response of the LEA's employees.
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Each LEA shall annually review its policies on bullying.
In addition, each LEA must publish and make available to students and parents a quarterly report that: (1) lists the number of bullying reports made since the previous quarterly report, and (2) informs the public of the right to file a complaint with the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) within the Department of Education (ED). OCR shall: (1) establish and publish complaint procedures; (2) investigate each complaint; (3) withhold ESEA funds from, issue a complaint against, or enter into a compliance agreement with any noncompliant LEA; and (4) make information about each complaint available on ED's website.
The bill conditions an LEA's receipt of ESEA funds on its: (1) annual written certification to ED that it is in compliance with the bill's requirements, and (2) submission of its four most recent quarterly reports on bullying.
People & committees
Rep. Cartwright, Matt [D-PA-17] · D–PA
Legislative record
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Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
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Source last updated: Aug 12, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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