AN ACT Relating to creating a students protecting students program; adding a new section to chapter 28A.630 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 28A.300 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 28A.320 RCW; providing an expiration date; and declaring an emergency.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 28A.630 RCW to read as follows:

(1) By May 1, 2018, school districts must report the following information to the office of the superintendent of public instruction:

(a) Any incident alert and reporting system in use by the district; and

(b) If the district is not using an incident alert and reporting system as of the effective date of this section, the barriers that the district faces in implementing an incident alert and reporting system. Barriers may include lack of support, training, availability, awareness, or financial resources. 

(2) The office of the superintendent of public instruction must compile the district information required under this section and report it to the appropriate committees of the legislature by June 1, 2018, and in compliance with RCW 43.01.036.

(3) This section expires August 1, 2021.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 28A.300 RCW to read as follows:

(1) The office of the superintendent of public instruction must contract with a vendor to make available to public schools an incident alert and reporting system, by the 2019-20 school year. The incident alert and reporting system, named the students protecting students program, must have, at a minimum, the following features:

(a) Availability as a mobile application;

(b) Fast, secure, and anonymous reporting by students to school administrators of activities or the threat of activities that are inappropriate, unsafe, harmful, dangerous, unethical, or illegal;

(c) Two-way messaging;

(d) The ability to include text, image, and video in reports and messages;

(e) The ability to designate school administrators to receive and respond to reports; and

(f) Protection of the privacy of student data, consistent with federal and state laws.

(2) The office of the superintendent of public instruction must contract for updates to the students protecting students program as new technology is available.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3.  A new section is added to chapter 28A.320 RCW to read as follows:

(1) Beginning in the 2019-20 school year, and except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, school districts must implement the students protecting students program, created under section 2 of this act, in middle or junior high schools, and high schools.

(2) A school district that will be unable to implement the students protecting students program that is created in section 2 of this act, during the 2019-20 school year must submit a students protecting students implementation plan to the office of the superintendent of public instruction by the start of the 2019-20 school year.

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