AN ACT Relating to creating a students protecting students program; and adding a new section to chapter 28A.320 RCW.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 28A.320 RCW to read as follows:

(1)(a) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, the students protecting students program is established for the primary purpose of providing students with a fast, secure, and anonymous method of reporting activities or the threat of activities that are inappropriate, unsafe, harmful, dangerous, unethical, or illegal.

(b) At a minimum, a local students protecting students program must have a mobile application with the following features:

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

(ii) Two-way messaging;

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

(iv) The ability to designate school administrators who will receive and respond to reports;

(v) The ability for school administrators to manage, escalate, and analyze incidents;

(vi) Media to publicize and explain the application to students and families; and

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

(c) Nothing in this section prohibits a school district from adding to the minimum program requirements described in this subsection (1).

(2) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, beginning January 1, 2019, a public school with any of grades seven through twelve must have a students protecting students program.

(3) A student or school administrator who uses the students protecting students program in good faith is immune from liability arising out of such reporting.

(4) Nothing in this section creates any civil liability for school districts, or creates a new cause of action or new theory of negligence against a school district board of directors, a school district, or the state.

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