ORS 339.329: Statewide tip line to report information concerning threats or potential threats to student safety; rules.

(1) As used in this section: (a) “Cyberbullying” and “harassment, intimidation or bullying” have the meanings given those terms in ORS 339.351. (b) “Local law enforcement contact” means a local law enforcement officer designated by the Department of State Police to be notified when the tip line receives a report of a threat to student safety or potential threat to student safety. (c) “Personally identifiable information” means any information that would permit the identification of a person who reports information using the tip line, and is not limited to name, phone number, physical address, electronic mail address, race, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability designation, religious affiliation, national origin, ethnicity, school of attendance, city, county or any geographic identifier included in information conveyed through the tip line, or information identifying the machine or device used by the person in making a report using the tip line. (d) “Service provider” means a person designated by the department to be notified when the tip line receives a report of a threat to student safety or potential threat to student safety. “Service provider” includes: (A) A provider of behavioral health care or mental health care; (B) A provider of school-based health care; (C) A licensed school counselor; (D) A clinical social worker licensed under ORS 675.530; or (E) A professional counselor or a marriage and family therapist licensed under ORS 675.715. (e) “Student” means a student of: (A) A school district, as defined in ORS 332.002; (B) A community college, as defined in ORS 341.005; (C) A private school that provides educational services to kindergarten through grade 12 students; (D) A career school, as defined in ORS 345.010; or (E) A public university listed under ORS 352.002. (f) “Threat to student safety” includes, but is not limited to, a threat or instance of: (A) Harassment, intimidation or bullying or cyberbullying; (B) Suicide or self-harm; and (C) Violence against others. (g) “Tip line” means a statewide resource designed to accept information concerning threats to student safety or potential threats to student safety through methods of transmission including: (A) Telephone calls; (B) Text messages; and (C) Electronically through the Internet. (2) The Department of State Police shall establish a statewide tip line for students and other members of the public to use to confidentially report information concerning threats to student safety or potential threats to student safety. (3) In consultation with state and local government behavioral health care providers, the department shall adopt rules necessary to establish and operate the tip line. The rules must include, but are not limited to: (a) Provisions that protect the personally identifiable information of a person reporting information without compromising opportunities for follow-up contact from local law enforcement contacts or service providers to provide further information to or obtain further information from the person; and (b) Written policies and procedures for: (A) Logging reports received on the tip line; (B) Verifying the authenticity and validity of a reported threat to student safety or potential threat to student safety; (C) Relaying information concerning a threat to student safety or potential threat to student safety to local law enforcement contacts, service providers and appropriate education provider contacts; (D) Connecting the tip line with other hotlines that are available for reports of violence or for crisis prevention; and (E) Reporting for the purposes of tracking referrals to local law enforcement contacts and service providers resulting from information received on the tip line and tracking the outcome of any action taken in response to the referral. (4) The contents of tips reported to the tip line may be disclosed only as allowed under ORS 192.345 (41), except that: (a) Personally identifiable information may be disclosed only as provided in this section; and (b) Personally identifiable information and other information reported through the tip line may be disclosed to the following persons for the purpose of follow-up contact to obtain or provide further information: (A) Tip line staff; (B) A school district, education service district, community college, private school that provides educational services to kindergarten through grade 12 students, career school or public university; (C) A service provider; or (D) Law enforcement. (5) Any person authorized to receive tip line information under subsection (4) of this section must use the information only for the purpose of making follow-up contact to obtain or provide further information. Any further information obtained through follow-up contact may be disclosed only to the persons described in subsection (4) of this section. (6) Persons authorized to receive tip line information under subsection (4) of this section may not disclose to the public the outcomes or actions taken as a result of tip line information unless the disclosure is required by a statute other than this section. (7) Notwithstanding subsections (4) to (6) of this section, the department may release aggregated or summary information for reporting purposes and may provide information obtained through the tip line for the purpose of educating the public about the tip line, but may not disclose personally identifiable information under this subsection. (8) The department may seek and accept gifts, grants and donations from any source for the purpose of carrying out the department’s duties under this section. [2016 c.74 §1; 2019 c.130 §1; 2021 c.97 §31; 2021 c.367 §17]