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STATE OF OKLAHOMA
1st Session of the 59t h Legislature (2023)
HOUSE BILL 2513 By: Pittman
AS INTRODUCED
An Act relating to schools; directing the State
Department of Education to es tablish a Handle with
Care Program; providing for coordination with the
Oklahoma State Bureau of I nvestigation; subjecting
program to the availability of fund s; describing
program purpose; requiring administration of a
notification system; prescribing information to be
included in notification; directing notification to
designated school representative; providing for
program training; specifying information to be
included in training; authorizing rul e promulgation;
providing exception for notification t hat could
compromise an ongoing investigation; providing for
codification; and providing an effective date.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 1210.164 of Title 70, unless
there is created a duplic ation in numbering, reads as follows:
A. The State Department of Education shall coordinate with the
Oklahoma State Bureau of I nvestigation to establish a Handle with
Care Program as funds become available, including pu blic, private,
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or philanthropic donations . The Handle with Care Program shall
enable a law enforcement officer or employee of a law enforcement
agency to notify the program when a child, who may attend a public
school in the state, is exposed to a traumat ic event or other event
that may affect his or her ability to succeed at school including,
but not limited to:
1. Domestic violence in the presence of the child;
2. Death of a member of the family or household of the child;
3. Arrest of a parent or guar dian of the child in the presence
of the child; or
4. Child abuse or neglect .
B. The Handle with Care Program shall administer a telephone
hotline or other appropriate method to allow a law enforcement
officer or law enforcement agency to provide the not ification
described in subsection A of this section. Information submitted to
the program in the notification shall include to the extent that it
is available:
1. The name of the child ;
2. The grade and school where the child is enrolled; and
3. The date of birth of the child.
The notification may include basic informat ion about the traumatic
event if the law enforcement officer o r employee reasonably believes
that disclosing the information is in the best interest of the child
or necessary for reasons related to school safety.
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C. Upon receiving notification as provided in subsection B of
this section, the Handle with Care Program employees shall determine
if the child attends a pub lic school in this state. If the child
attends public school in the sta te, the program shall notify a
designated representative of the school distric t where the child
attends school that the child has b een exposed to a traumatic event.
D. The Department shall provide training regarding the Handle
with Care Program to :
1. Law enforcement agencies and their employees who may respond
to a traumatic event involving a child ;
2. The board of education of a school district;
3. The governing board of a charter school; and
4. Any other entity whose employees and volunteers the program
determines should receive training .
E. The training required in subsection D of this section shall
include, at a minimum:
1. The procedure for notifying the Handle with Care Program
when a child who may attend a public school is exposed to a
traumatic event or other event that may affect his or her ability to
succeed at school and t he information to include in the
notification;
2. Proper response to a notification received from the program,
including, without limitation, the manner in which to respo nd to
notification; and
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3. Collaboration with teachers and other members of the staff
of a school, students, family members of students, and other
persons, as appropriate, to reduce the negative impact of the
traumatic event on the affec ted student and appropriate
interventions that may be available to assist the student.
F. The State Board of Education may promulgate rules to
implement the provisions of this section.
G. Nothing in this secti on shall be construed to require a law
enforcement officer or employee of a law enforcement ag ency to
provide notification pursuant to this section if the disclosure of
information may compromis e an ongoing investigation .
SECTION 2. This act shall become effective November 1, 2023.
59-1-7039 EK 01/19/23