Chapter 619 Oregon Laws 2001

AN ACT

HB 3647

Relating to the School Safety Hotline; creating new provisions; amending ORS 165.570; appropriating money; limiting expenditures; and declaring an emergency.

Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:

SECTION 1. (1) As used in this section, “local law enforcement contact” means a local law enforcement officer that a school district wants to be notified when a report concerning a school within the school district is received on the School Safety Hotline.

(2) Subject to the availability of funds, the Department of Justice shall establish a toll-free telephone line that is available to school age children and other members of the public for the purpose of reporting criminal or suspicious activities on school grounds or at school-sponsored activities. The toll-free telephone line established under this section shall be known as the School Safety Hotline.

(3)(a) The department shall adopt rules necessary to establish and operate the School Safety Hotline. The department shall include in the rules provisions that protect the identity of a caller while maximizing opportunities to allow follow-up calls by either the callers or the local law enforcement contacts to provide or obtain further information.

(b) The department is not responsible for investigating reports received on the hotline. The appropriate school district and appropriate local law enforcement agency shall take any follow-up action that they deem appropriate.

(4) At least annually, a school district shall provide the department with a list of the school district’s local law enforcement contacts.

(5) The department may contract with a private entity or enter into an interagency agreement with a state agency or political subdivision of the state to establish and operate the School Safety Hotline.

(6) The department, in collaboration with school officials, law enforcement agencies and other interested persons, shall develop a plan to promote the use of the hotline by school age children.

SECTION 2. (1) The Department of Justice shall seek funds to establish and operate the School Safety Hotline. The department may accept gifts, grants and donations from any source for the purpose of carrying out its duties under section 1 of this 2001 Act.

(2) All moneys received by the department under subsection (1) of this section shall be paid over to the State Treasurer monthly for deposit in the Department of Justice Operating Account created under the provisions of ORS 180.180. Amounts deposited pursuant to this subsection are continuously appropriated to the Attorney General to pay the expenses of the department in administering the School Safety Hotline.

(3) The department may begin rulemaking and take other steps in preparation for establishing and operating the School Safety Hotline but may not enter into binding obligations until funds have been committed.

SECTION 3. Notwithstanding any other law limiting expenditures by the Department of Justice for the payment of expenses from fees, moneys or other revenues, excluding lottery funds and federal funds, collected or received by the Department of Justice for the biennium beginning July 1, 2001, there is authorized to be expended, in addition to other limitations established by law, as modified by Emergency Board action, the sum of $1. Such sum may be expended only to carry out the duties imposed by section 1 of this Act.

SECTION 4. ORS 165.570 is amended to read:

165.570. (1) A person commits the crime of improper use of [a 9-1-1] an emergency reporting system if the person knowingly:

(a) Calls a 9-1-1 emergency reporting system or the School Safety Hotline for a purpose other than to report a situation that the person reasonably believes requires prompt service in order to preserve human life or property; or

(b) Allows another person to use telephone equipment owned, rented or leased by or under the control of the person to call a 9-1-1 emergency reporting system or the School Safety Hotline for a purpose other than to report a situation that the other person reasonably believes requires prompt service in order to preserve human life or property.

(2) As used in this section:[,]

(a) “9-1-1 emergency reporting system” has the meaning given that term in ORS 401.710.

(b) “School Safety Hotline” means the toll-free telephone line established under section 1 of this 2001 Act.

(3) Improper use of [a 9-1-1] an emergency reporting system is a Class A misdemeanor.

SECTION 5. This 2001 Act being necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health and safety, an emergency is declared to exist, and this 2001 Act takes effect July 1, 2001.

Approved by the Governor June 26, 2001

Filed in the office of Secretary of State June 26, 2001

Effective date July 1, 2001

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