AUSTIN — The Texas Senate voted unanimously Wednesday to pass a bill that would criminalize cyberbullying and extend the reach of parents and schools to prevent the harassment.

"We are specifically targeting the most heinous acts of cyberbullying," said Sen. José Menéndez, D-San Antonio, author of the bill. "We need to have our current laws catch up with evolving changes in social media and technology."

Menéndez's SB 172 makes cyberbullying a misdemeanor and gives school districts the ability to intervene in cyberbullying cases. It also allows courts to issue subpoenas to reveal anonymous cyberbullies and permits victims to sue in civil court if parents of the cyberbully had the opportunity to intervene but did not.

"Law enforcement told me that current law is not enough," Menéndez said. "I have that ammunition.”

Menéndez worked closely with the Molak family of San Antonio to craft the bill titled "David's Law," named after the Molak's son, who was a victim of cyberbullying. David took his own life at the age of 16 after relentless cyberbullying at Alamo Heights High School in January 2016.

School districts are required to intervene in cases of suspected cyberbullying under the bill. School officials said they did not get involved in David Molak's case because the bullying happened online and not at school.

Sen. Charles Perry, R-Lubbock, voiced concern about smaller school districts being able to handle the extra burden of enforcing these rules because rural areas have fewer resources.

Menéndez assured lawmakers that reporting and prevention measures in school districts would only enable school officials to stop cyberbullying and not be a burden to their resources.

"Members of the Molak family told me that at the funeral they had children come up to me and say 'I’m so sorry, I knew the bullying was happening and didn't do anything,'" Menéndez said. He added that the bill won't prevent children from killing themselves, but said, "I know that we won't hear anymore 'I didn't know what we could do.'"

Menéndez read out the names of other families in Texas who lost children to suicide after they endured cyberbullying. The Scott family of New Braunfels was one of these cases. They lost their daughter, Isabella, to suicide at the age of 12 and worked along with the bill's sponsors to craft the legislation.

Suicide is the second-leading cause of death for teenagers in America, according the Center for Disease Control.

"Even if we can save just one life with this bill, that in itself is worth it," said Sen. Donna Campbell, R-New Braunfels, a co-author of the bill who worked closely with the Scott family. "We must do everything we can to keep our children safe."

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