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TO CREATE THE "REPORT-A-BULLY COMPUTER APP STUDY COMMITTEE" TO EVALUATE PROGRAMS FOR INSTALLING ON ALL DISTRICT COMPUTER TABLETS A COMPUTER SOFTWARE APPLICATION THROUGH WHICH STUDENTS MAY ANONYMOUSLY NOTIFY SCHOOL OFFICIALS OF INCIDENTS INVOLVING BULLYING OF OTHER STUDENTS, TO PROVIDE FOR THE COMPOSITION OF THE COMMITTEE, AND TO PROVIDE THE COMMITTEE SHALL MAKE A REPORT OF ITS FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY BEFORE JANUARY 1, 2015, AT WHICH TIME THE COMMITTEE MUST BE DISSOLVED.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
SECTION 1. (A) In order to better protect South Carolina's children and to address the issue of bullying and the profoundly negative impact it has on the lives of bullying victims, the "Report-a-Bully Computer App Study Committee" is hereby created to evaluate programs in which public school districts would include on all tablet computers issued or made available to students some form of software application, also known as an "app", through which the student anonymously may report an incident of bullying of another student and attach, if available, photographic or video evidence of the incident. In conducting this study, the committee shall gather and evaluate information concerning existing programs or pilot programs in which schools or school districts provide on its tablet computers an app through which the student could anonymously report an incident of bullying of another student, such as the pilot program undertaken at Irmo High School. The committee also may consider use of the app to report other urgent matters, such as an incident of violence, quickly and anonymously to appropriate school officials.
(B)(1) The study committee must be composed of three members of the Senate, with one appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate and two appointed by the Chairman of the Senate Education Committee, and three members of the House of Representatives, with one appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives and two appointed by the Chairman of the House Education and Public Works Committee.
(2) Vacancies in the study committee's membership must be filled for the remainder of the unexpired term in the manner of original appointment.
(3) A member of the study committee shall serve without compensation or per diem, but may receive mileage if paid by the entity that appointed the member.
(C) The Chairmen of the Senate Education Committee and House Education and Public Works Committee shall provide appropriate staffing for the study committee.
(D) The study committee shall make a report of the study committee's findings and recommendations to the General Assembly by January 1, 2015, at which time the study committee must be dissolved.
SECTION 2. This joint resolution takes effect upon approval by the Governor.
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