ENROLLED
ACT No. 641
2018 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 895 (Substitute for House Bill No. 575 by Representative Norton)
BY REPRESENTATIVES NORTON, AMEDEE, BAGLEY, BOUIE, BRASS, GARY
CARTER, COX, DUPLESSIS, EDMONDS, HALL, HORTON, HUNTER,
JACKSON, JEFFERSON, JENKINS, LYONS, MARCELLE, PIERRE, SMITH,
AND STOKES
1 AN ACT
2 To enact Part XII of Chapter 1 of Title 17 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, to be
3 comprised of R.S. 17:409, and R.S. 17:3399.16, relative to instruction in school
4 safety in public schools and public postsecondary education institutions; to require
5 school officials and campus security officers to provide information to students
6 regarding potential threats to school safety exhibited through online content; to
7 provide for elements to be included in such information; to provide a process for
8 students to report online content deemed potentially dangerous; to provide for
9 confidentiality of personal information about students who report such matters; and
10 to provide for related matters.
11 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
12 Section 1. This Act shall be known as and may be cited as the "Louisiana We Must
13 Save Our Children Act".
14 Section 2. Part XII of Chapter 1 of Title 17 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of
15 1950, comprised of R.S. 17:409, and R.S. 17:3399.16, are hereby enacted to read as follows:
16 PART XII. LOUISIANA SCHOOL AND STUDENT SAFETY
17 §409. Safety education; recognition and reporting of potential threats to safety
18 A. Each public school governing authority, in consultation with local law
19 enforcement agencies, shall develop and distribute age and grade appropriate
20 information to each student regarding internet and cell phone safety and online
21 content that is a potential threat to school safety. The information shall include how
22 to recognize and report potential threats to school safety that are posted on the
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1 internet, including but not limited to posts on social media. The information shall
2 either be distributed to or explained to students and school personnel at the beginning
3 of each school year and shall be posted on an easily accessible page of each school's
4 website and the website of the school's governing authority.
5 B. The information shall include the following:
6 (1) Instruction on how to detect potential threats to school safety exhibited
7 online, including on any social media platform.
8 (2) Visual examples of possible threats.
9 (3) The reporting process, as provided in Subsection C of this Section.
10 C. Each public school governing authority shall develop procedures for
11 reporting potential threats to school safety. The reporting procedures, at a minimum,
12 shall include:
13 (1) A standardized form to be used by students and school personnel to
14 report potential threats which requests, at a minimum, the following information:
15 (a) Name of school, person, or group being threatened.
16 (b) Name of student, individual, or group threatening violence.
17 (c) Date and time the threat was made.
18 (d) Method by which the threat was made, including the social media outlet
19 or website where the threat was posted, a screenshot or recording of the threat, if
20 available, and any printed evidence of the threat.
21 (2) A process for allowing school personnel to assist students in completing
22 the standardized form.
23 (3) A process for allowing reporting by an automated voice system.
24 (4) A process for allowing anonymous reporting and for safeguarding the
25 identity of a person who reports a threat.
26 (5) For every threat reported, a school administrator shall record, on the form
27 provided for by this Subsection, the action taken by the school.
28 D. If information reported to a school pursuant to Subsection C of this
29 Section is deemed a potential threat to school safety, the school shall present the
30 form and evidence to local law enforcement agencies. If the information poses an
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1 immediate threat, school administrators shall follow procedures provided in R.S.
2 17:416.16.
3 * * *
4 §3399.16. Safety education; recognition and reporting of potential threats to safety
5 A. The administration of each public postsecondary institution, in
6 consultation with campus or local law enforcement agencies, shall develop and
7 distribute information to students regarding internet and cell phone safety and online
8 content that is a potential threat to school safety. Such information shall include how
9 to recognize and report potential threats to school safety that are posted on the
10 internet, including but not limited to posts on social media.
11 B. The information shall include the following:
12 (1) Instruction on how to detect potential threats to school safety exhibited
13 online, including on any social media platform.
14 (2) Visual examples of possible threats.
15 (3) The reporting process, as provided in Subsection D of this Section.
16 C. The information shall be distributed as part of new student orientation and
17 shall be posted on an easily accessible page of each institution's website.
18 D. The reporting process shall, at a minimum, include:
19 (1) A standardized form to be used by students, faculty, and other personnel
20 to report potential threats. The form shall request, at a minimum, the following
21 information:
22 (a) Name of institution, person, or group being threatened.
23 (b) Name of student, individual, or group threatening violence.
24 (c) Date and time the threat was made.
25 (d) Method by which the threat was made, including the social media outlet
26 or website where the threat was posted, a screenshot or recording of the threat, if
27 available, and any printed evidence of the threat.
28 (2) A process for allowing anonymous reporting and for safeguarding the
29 identity of a person who reports a threat.
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1 E. Each institution shall adopt a policy to implement the provisions of this
2 Part. The policy shall require that for every threat report received, the actions taken
3 by the institution and the campus law enforcement agency or security officers be
4 documented. The policies shall also provide for guidelines on referring the threats
5 to the appropriate law enforcement agencies.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA
APPROVED:
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