HLS 18RS-2483 ORIGINAL
2018 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 895 (Substitute for House Bill No. 575 by Representative Norton)
BY REPRESENTATIVE NORTON
CURRICULA: Provides for instruction on threats to school safety in public schools and
public postsecondary education institutions
1 AN ACT
2To enact R.S. 17:280.1 and 3399.16, relative to instruction in school safety in public schools
3 and public postsecondary education institutions; to require school officials and
4 campus security officers to provide information to students regarding potential
5 threats to school safety exhibited through online content; to provide for elements to
6 be included in such instruction; to provide a process for students to report online
7 content deemed potentially dangerous; to provide for confidentiality of personal
8 information about students who report such matters; and to provide for related
9 matters.
10Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
11 Section 1. This Act shall be known as and may be cited as the "Louisiana We Must
12 Save Our Children Act".
13 Section 2. R.S. 17:280.1 and 3399.16 are hereby enacted to read as follows:
14 §280.1. Safety education; recognition and reporting of potential threats to safety
15 A. Each public school, in consultation with local law enforcement agencies,
16 shall develop and distribute age and grade appropriate information to each student
17 in grades nine through twelve regarding internet and cell phone safety and online
18 content that is a potential threat to school safety. Such information shall include how
19 to recognize and report potential threats to school safety that are posted on the
20 internet, including but not limited to posts on social media.
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1 B. The information shall include the following:
2 (1) Instruction on how to detect potential threats to school safety exhibited
3 online, including on any social media platform.
4 (2) Visual examples of possible threats.
5 (3) The reporting process, as provided in Subsection C of this Section.
6 C. Public school administrators shall develop procedures for reporting
7 potential threats to school safety. The school shall develop forms which shall be
8 used either by students reporting or by school officials memorializing a conversation
9 about the potential threat. A student reporting online content pursuant to this
10 Subsection may complete the form or provide the information by anonymous call
11 and provide the following information:
12 (1) School of attendance.
13 (2) Information about the incident being reported including but not limited
14 to:
15 (a) Name of student, individual, or group who posted potentially dangerous
16 content.
17 (b) Date and time the post or website was viewed.
18 (c) Social media outlet or website on which content was posted.
19 (d) Type of threat to school safety that the content indicates.
20 (3) A student reporting such a threat may submit photographic evidence of
21 the online content. Such evidence may include any of the following:
22 (a) A printed screenshot of the post and presenting hard copy.
23 (b) Evidence of the post on a cell phone, tablet, or laptop computer.
24 (4) A student in a grade below nine may report online content that he
25 suspects is potentially dangerous.
26 (5) Personal information of a student who reports such a threat shall be kept
27 confidential.
28 (6) For every threat reported, a school administrator shall record, on the form
29 provided by this Subsection, the action taken by the school.
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1 D. If information presented to a school pursuant to Subsection C of this
2 Section is deemed a potential threat to school safety, the school shall present the
3 form and evidence to local law enforcement agencies. If the information poses an
4 immediate threat, school administrators shall follow procedures provided in R.S.
5 17:416.16.
6 * * *
7 §3399.16. Safety education; recognition and reporting of potential threats to safety
8 A. The campus security officers of each institution, in consultation with local
9 law enforcement agencies, shall develop and distribute information to students on
10 the campus regarding internet and cell phone safety and online content that is a
11 potential threat to school safety. Such information shall include how to recognize
12 and report potential threats to school safety that are posted on the internet including
13 but not limited to posts on social media.
14 B. The information shall include the following:
15 (1) Instruction on how to detect potential threats to school safety exhibited
16 online, including on any social media platform.
17 (2) Visual examples of possible threats.
18 (3) The reporting process, as provided in Subsection C of this Section.
19 C. Institution administrators shall develop procedures for reporting potential
20 threats to school safety. The school shall develop forms which shall be used either
21 by students reporting or by campus officials memorializing a conversation about the
22 potential threat. A student reporting online content pursuant to this Subsection may
23 complete the form or provide the information by anonymous call and provide the
24 following information:
25 (1) School of attendance.
26 (2) Information about the incident being reported including but not limited
27 to:
28 (a) Name of student, individual, or group who posted potentially dangerous
29 content.
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1 (b) Date and time the post or website was viewed.
2 (c) Social media outlet or website on which content was viewed.
3 (d) Type of threat to campus safety that the content indicates.
4 (3) A student reporting such a threat may submit photographic evidence of
5 the online content. Such evidence may include any of the following:
6 (a) A printed screenshot of the post and presenting hard copy.
7 (b) Evidence of the post on a cell phone, tablet, or laptop computer.
8 (4) Personal information of a student who reports such a threat shall be kept
9 confidential.
10 (5) For every threat reported, an administrator shall record, on the form
11 provided for by this Subsection, the action taken by the institution.
12 D. If information presented to a campus security officer on a form submitted
13 pursuant to Subsection C of this Section is deemed a potential threat to school safety
14 or public safety, the campus security officer shall present the form and evidence to
15 local law enforcement agencies or campus police.
16 E. Each institution shall adopt a policy for implementation for this Section.
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HB 895 Original 2018 Regular Session Norton
Abstract: Provides relative to guidelines and instruction in public schools and public
postsecondary education institutions on potential threats to school safety and
reporting of such threats.
Proposed law requires public schools and public postsecondary education institutions to
offer information on recognizing and reporting potential threats to school safety that are
posted on the internet. School and campus security officers or other persons deemed
appropriate by the schools, in consultation with local law enforcement agencies, shall
develop age and grade appropriate curriculum for students in grades nine and above.
Proposed law requires school officials and campus security officers to address the following,
at a minimum, in the information distributed:
(1)The ability to detect potential online threats to school safety.
(2)The reporting system at the school or campus.
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Proposed law requires school officials and campus security officers to further report online
content to local law enforcement agencies, when it is deemed potentially dangerous. If
content poses immediate threat at a public school, school administrators shall follow
procedures provided by present law regarding school crisis management.
(Adds R.S. 17:280.1 and 3399.16)
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