1| STATE OF OKLAHOMA | | | 2| 1st Session of the 59th Legislature (2023) | | | 3|HOUSE BILL 2513 By: Pittman | | | 4| | | | 5| | | | 6| AS INTRODUCED | | | 7| An Act relating to schools; directing the State | | Department of Education to establish a Handle with | 8| Care Program; providing for coordination with the | | Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation; subjecting | 9| program to the availability of funds; describing | | program purpose; requiring administration of a | 10| notification system; prescribing information to be | | included in notification; directing notification to | 11| designated school representative; providing for | | program training; specifying information to be | 12| included in training; authorizing rule promulgation; | | providing exception for notification that could | 13| compromise an ongoing investigation; providing for | | codification; and providing an effective date. | 14| | | | 15| | | | 16| | | | 17| | | | 18|BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA: | | | 19| SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified | | | 20|in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 1210.164 of Title 70, unless | | | 21|there is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows: | | | 22| A. The State Department of Education shall coordinate with the | | | 23|Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation to establish a Handle with | | | 24|Care Program as funds become available, including public, private, | | | Req. No. 7039 Page 1 ___________________________________________________________________________
1|or philanthropic donations. The Handle with Care Program shall | | | 2|enable a law enforcement officer or employee of a law enforcement | | | 3|agency to notify the program when a child, who may attend a public | | | 4|school in the state, is exposed to a traumatic event or other event | | | 5|that may affect his or her ability to succeed at school including, | | | 6|but not limited to: | | | 7| 1. Domestic violence in the presence of the child; | | | 8| 2. Death of a member of the family or household of the child; | | | 9| 3. Arrest of a parent or guardian of the child in the presence | | | 10|of the child; or | | | 11| 4. Child abuse or neglect. | | | 12| B. The Handle with Care Program shall administer a telephone | | | 13|hotline or other appropriate method to allow a law enforcement | | | 14|officer or law enforcement agency to provide the notification | | | 15|described in subsection A of this section. Information submitted to | | | 16|the program in the notification shall include to the extent that it | | | 17|is available: | | | 18| 1. The name of the child; | | | 19| 2. The grade and school where the child is enrolled; and | | | 20| 3. The date of birth of the child. | | | 21|The notification may include basic information about the traumatic | | | 22|event if the law enforcement officer or employee reasonably believes | | | 23|that disclosing the information is in the best interest of the child | | | 24|or necessary for reasons related to school safety. | | | Req. No. 7039 Page 2 ___________________________________________________________________________
1| C. Upon receiving notification as provided in subsection B of | | | 2|this section, the Handle with Care Program employees shall determine | | | 3|if the child attends a public school in this state. If the child | | | 4|attends public school in the state, the program shall notify a | | | 5|designated representative of the school district where the child | | | 6|attends school that the child has been exposed to a traumatic event. | | | 7| D. The Department shall provide training regarding the Handle | | | 8|with Care Program to: | | | 9| 1. Law enforcement agencies and their employees who may respond | | | 10|to a traumatic event involving a child; | | | 11| 2. The board of education of a school district; | | | 12| 3. The governing board of a charter school; and | | | 13| 4. Any other entity whose employees and volunteers the program | | | 14|determines should receive training. | | | 15| E. The training required in subsection D of this section shall | | | 16|include, at a minimum: | | | 17| 1. The procedure for notifying the Handle with Care Program | | | 18|when a child who may attend a public school is exposed to a | | | 19|traumatic event or other event that may affect his or her ability to | | | 20|succeed at school and the information to include in the | | | 21|notification; | | | 22| 2. Proper response to a notification received from the program, | | | 23|including, without limitation, the manner in which to respond to | | | 24|notification; and | | | Req. No. 7039 Page 3 ___________________________________________________________________________
1| 3. Collaboration with teachers and other members of the staff | | | 2|of a school, students, family members of students, and other | | | 3|persons, as appropriate, to reduce the negative impact of the | | | 4|traumatic event on the affected student and appropriate | | | 5|interventions that may be available to assist the student. | | | 6| F. The State Board of Education may promulgate rules to | | | 7|implement the provisions of this section. | | | 8| G. Nothing in this section shall be construed to require a law | | | 9|enforcement officer or employee of a law enforcement agency to | | | 10|provide notification pursuant to this section if the disclosure of | | | 11|information may compromise an ongoing investigation. | | | 12| SECTION 2. This act shall become effective November 1, 2023. | | | 13| | | | 14| 59-1-7039 EK 01/19/23 | | | 15| | | | 16| | | | 17| | | | 18| | | | 19| | | | 20| | | | 21| | | | 22| | | | 23| | | | 24| | | | Req. No. 7039 Page 4