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PRINTER'S NO. 23
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE BILL
No.
47
Session of
2019
INTRODUCED BY HUTCHINSON, JANUARY 11, 2019
REFERRED TO EDUCATION, JANUARY 11, 2019
AN ACT
Amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), entitled "An
act relating to the public school system, including certain
provisions applicable as well to private and parochial
schools; amending, revising, consolidating and changing the
laws relating thereto," in Safe2Say Program, further
providing for school entity procedures.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Section 1303-D of the act of March 10, 1949
(P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, added
June 22, 2018 (P.L.327, No.44), is amended to read:
Section 1303-D. Safe2Say Program.
(a) Establishment.--The Safe2Say Program is established
within the office.
(b) Administration.--The Attorney General shall:
(1) administer the program pursuant to the requirements
under subsection (c); and
(2) promulgate regulations and adopt all guidelines
necessary for the establishment of the program and
administration of this article, in consultation with
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Statewide organizations.
(c) Program requirements.--Beginning January 14, 2019, the
program shall be responsible for the following:
(1) To ensure anonymous reporting concerning unsafe,
potentially harmful, dangerous, violent or criminal
activities in a school entity or the threat of the activities
in a school entity.
(2) To establish protocols and procedures to promptly
notify the appropriate law enforcement agency via 911 centers
and the Pennsylvania State Police when the program receives
an anonymous report of violent or criminal activities in a
school entity that poses an immediate threat of violence or
criminal activity.
(3) To ensure that the identity of the individual making
a report remains unknown to any person, including law
enforcement officers and employees of the office.
(4) To ensure that information obtained from an
individual making a report who voluntarily discloses his or
her identity and verifies that he or she is willing to be
identified may be shared with law enforcement officers,
employees of the office and school officials.
(5) To ensure that if the identity of an individual
making a report becomes known through a means other than
voluntary disclosure, the identity is not further disclosed.
(6) To establish procedures to promptly forward
information received by the program to the appropriate law
enforcement agency, school official or organization, as
determined by the office. The office may not be held liable
for investigation of a report made to the program following
confirmation of receipt of the report by the appropriate law
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enforcement agency, school official or organization.
(7) To train or provide instruction to individuals,
including, but not limited to, emergency dispatch centers and
school entities, on appropriate awareness and response to the
program.
(8) To provide program awareness and education materials
to school entities.
(9) To, in consultation with the Department of
Education, establish guidelines school entities may utilize
to respond to a report received from the program.
(10) To work with school entities, local law enforcement
agencies and organizations to identify each person to whom a
report from the program will be sent.
(d) School entity.--[Each] Beginning with the 2020-2021
school year and each school year thereafter, each school entity
shall develop procedures for assessing and responding to reports
received from the program.
Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
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