HB 1817 — Supporting survivors of sexual assault in public elementary and secondary schools.

H-1563.1H-0894.1 SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 1817 State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session By House Education (originally sponsored by Representatives Scott, Pollet, Doglio, Berry, Parshley, Obras, Goodman, Street, Macri, Taylor, Salahuddin, Ryu, and Hill)Hill READRead FIRSTfirst TIMEtime 02/21/25.02/04/25.

Referred to Committee on Education.

andcreating providinga annew effectivesection; date.

providing an effective date;

and providing an expiration date.

A(1) newThe sectionlegislative isyouth addedadvisory tocouncil chapterestablished 28A.300under RCW to43.15.095 readshall aslead follows:a collaborative discussion about the requirements for mandatory reporting of child abuse or neglect under RCW 26.44.030.

ToThe helppurpose meet the requirements of RCWthis 28A.400.317(2)(b),discussion theis officeto ofsolicit thestudent superintendentfeedback of public instruction, by November 1, 2026, shall post on its website, and periodically update, staff training materials on trauma-informed, survivor-centered responses to disclosureshave ofstudents sexualcollaborate abuse, misconduct, and assault, including best practices for working with localrelevant communityagencies experts in sexual assault and misconductorganizations andon childthis abusetopic. prevention and response.

The discussion must include:

(a) A review of certificated and classified school employee training regarding their reporting obligations required under RCW 28A.400.317;

(b) A review of the Washington state school directors' associations' model policies and procedures related to this topic;

(c) A review of mandatory reporting-related components of the office of the superintendent of public instruction's 2023 report entitled supporting survivors of sexual assault in K-12 schools, p.

1 HB 1817 including the summary of the student listening sessions and the contractor's report and recommendations;

and (d) A review of existing systems that school districts are using for students to report concerns.

(2) The legislative youth advisory council must conduct this discussion in no more than three meetings, and the meetings must include representatives from at least the following agencies and organizations:

(a) Office of the superintendent of public instruction;

(b) Department of children, youth, and families;

(c) Washington association of sheriffs and police chiefs;

(d) Department of health;

(e) Department of social and health services;

(f) Washington state patrol;

(g) Attorney general's office;

and (h) Local community experts in sexual assault and misconduct and child abuse prevention and response.

(3) By December 1, 2025, the legislative youth advisory council shall report to the office of the superintendent of public instruction, the Washington state school directors' association, and the appropriate committees of the legislature in compliance with RCW 43.01.036 with any recommendations it has for amending these laws to follow trauma-informed and survivor-centered best practices and any recommendations related to the training materials described in section 2 of this act and the contents of the student and family guide described in section 4 of this act.

(4) The office of the lieutenant governor shall provide administration, supervision, and facilitation support to help the council meet the requirements of this section.

(5) This section expires August 1, 2027.

NEW SECTION.

A new section is added to chapter 28A.300 RCW to read as follows:

(1) To help meet the requirements of RCW 28A.400.317(2)(b), the office of the superintendent of public instruction, by November 1, 2026, shall post on its website, and periodically update, staff training materials on trauma-informed, survivor-centered responses to disclosures of sexual abuse, misconduct, and assault, including best practices for working with local community experts in sexual assault and misconduct and child abuse prevention and response.

p.

2 HB 1817 (2) The staff training materials described in this section must consider any recommendations developed by the legislative youth advisory council under section 1 of this act.

Sec.

3.

(1) A certificated or classified school employee who has knowledge or reasonable cause to believe that a student has been a victim of physical or sexual abuse ((or)), sexual misconduct, or assault by another school employee, shall report such abuse ((or)), p.misconduct, or assault to the appropriate school administrator.

1 SHB 1817 misconduct, or assault to the appropriate school administrator.

(c) The training required under this subsection may be incorporated within existing training programs and related resources and may use the staff training materials described in section 12 of this act.

3.4.

(1) By November 1, 2026, the office of the superintendent of public instruction, in collaboration with the Washington state school directors' association and local community experts in sexual assault and misconduct and child abuse prevention and response, shall develop, and periodically update, a student and family guide to the school district sexual harassment policy required by RCW 28A.640.020(2)p. and other laws, policies, and procedures related to sexual abuse, misconduct, and assault, and mandatory reporting of child abuse or neglect under RCW 26.44.030.

3 HB 1817 28A.640.020(2) and other laws, policies, and procedures related to sexual abuse, misconduct, and assault, and mandatory reporting of child abuse or neglect under RCW 26.44.030.

(a) BeConsider culturallyany informed;recommendations developed by the legislative youth advisory council under section 1 of this act;

and (b) Be translatedculturally intoinformed; the most common non-English languages spoken across the state in accordance with the model language access policy and procedures as required under chapter 28A.183 RCW.