DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The Senate has passed legislation that would give school educators more authority to respond to student bullying in Iowa. The Senate voted 43-7 Tuesday for the bill. It now heads to the House, where lawmakers are considering a similar measure. The bill would give school educators more authority to respond to bullying, including guidelines to respond to bullying off school grounds. It also expands language on cyberbullying to include social media.

The legislation was briefly debated on the Senate floor Monday before the vote Tuesday. Some lawmakers expressed reservation about the bill not having funding for teacher training and a student pilot program. That differs from the House bill, which has a $200,000 appropriation.

Gov. Terry Branstad, who supports anti-bullying efforts, released a statement Tuesday applauding the vote.