H 3854 General Bill, By Limehouse, Brannon, Gilliard, Sottile and Taylor
 A BILL TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, SO AS TO ENACT THE
 "REPORT-A-BULLY IN SCHOOL WEBSITE ACT"; BY ADDING SECTION 59-63-145 SO AS TO
 PROVIDE EACH SCHOOL DISTRICT SHALL DEVELOP A WEBSITE THROUGH WHICH A PERSON
 MAY ANONYMOUSLY REPORT ACTS OF HARASSMENT, INTIMIDATION, OR BULLYING OF A
 STUDENT AT SCHOOL; TO PROVIDE THE DISTRICT SHALL RESPOND TO COMPLAINTS
 RECEIVED BY MEANS OF THE WEBSITE IN A CERTAIN MANNER; TO IMPOSE RELATED
 REPORTING REQUIREMENTS ON THE DISTRICT; AND TO PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION
 RECEIVED THROUGH THE WEBSITE IS NOT SUBJECT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT.

   03/18/15  House  Introduced and read first time (House Journal-page 1)
   03/18/15  House  Referred to Committee on Judiciary
                     (House Journal-page 1)

TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, SO AS TO ENACT THE "REPORT-A-BULLY IN SCHOOL WEBSITE ACT"; BY ADDING SECTION 59-63-145 SO AS TO PROVIDE EACH SCHOOL DISTRICT SHALL DEVELOP A WEBSITE THROUGH WHICH A PERSON MAY ANONYMOUSLY REPORT ACTS OF HARASSMENT, INTIMIDATION, OR BULLYING OF A STUDENT AT SCHOOL; TO PROVIDE THE DISTRICT SHALL RESPOND TO COMPLAINTS RECEIVED BY MEANS OF THE WEBSITE IN A CERTAIN MANNER; TO IMPOSE RELATED REPORTING REQUIREMENTS ON THE DISTRICT; AND TO PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION RECEIVED THROUGH THE WEBSITE IS NOT SUBJECT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

SECTION    1.    This act must be known and may be cited as the "Report-a-Bully in School Website Act".

SECTION    2.    Article 2, Chapter 63, Title 59 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:

"Section 59-63-145.    (A)    Before September 1, 2015, each local school district shall include on its website a form that a student can complete online to anonymously report acts of harassment, intimidation, or bullying of a student in a school. This form must be called the 'Report-a-Bully in School Website', and a link to the form must be conspicuously displayed on the home page of the website for each district and school within the district. At a minimum, the form must include information about the date, location, and circumstances of the incident, along with the identity of the person who committed the incident. The school promptly shall investigate the allegations consistent with policies adopted by the district pursuant to the Safe School Climate Act. Each month the school shall report the number of acts reported through the website, the nature of each alleged act, whether the investigation of the report is pending or resolved, and if resolved, the date of the resolution.

(B)    A report submitted through a 'Report-a-Bully in School Website' is not subject to the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act."

SECTION    3.    This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.