Students, OSPI and sponsor urge broader training and clearer reporting in bill to support K–12 survivors of sexual assault

The Early Learning & K–12 Education Committee heard in‑person and remote testimony on Senate Bill 5,386, legislation that would require trauma‑informed, survivor‑centered training for school staff, direct the Legislative Youth Advisory Council (LYAC) to review mandatory‑reporting laws, and direct OSPI and partners to develop a student and family guide about reporting and supports.

Committee staff described the bill’s three main components: (1) a LYAC‑led collaborative review, due to OSPI, WASDA and the legislature by Dec. 1, of mandatory reporting requirements and recommendations for trauma‑informed, survivor‑centered practices; (2) required staff training that incorporates trauma‑informed and survivor‑centered responses and bystander intervention beginning in 2027; and (3) OSPI‑led development and periodic update of a student and family guide to harassment, assault, reporting and related policies. The fiscal note cited costs of about $83,000 for the 2025–27 biennium and $8,000 in future biennia for staffing.

Sponsor testimony came from Senator Tina Orwell (representing the 30th/33rd area as stated in the hearing record), who said the bill grows out of student reports and an OSPI listening tour that documented survivors feeling unheard when they disclosed assault. OSPI’s managing attorney for the Equity and Civil Rights Office, Sarah Albertson, told the committee the agency supports the bill because it focuses on student experience and expands educator access to trauma‑informed training while helping staff meet mandatory‑reporting obligations.

Multiple student witnesses from Lake Washington High School described student‑to‑student assault experiences and shortcomings of existing reporting tools. Testimony and a student research project cited by witnesses identified recurring problems: reporting tools that use accusatory language (for example, asking “why do you think the harassment occurred”), poor accessibility of online forms, limited follow‑up and lack of clarity about what happens after a report is submitted. Several students and alumni said current training leaves teachers “uncomfortable, uninformed, and unequipped” to respond to student‑to‑student misconduct and urged the committee to explicitly include student‑to‑student assault in training and reporting protocols.

A school psychologist who testified supported the bill’s intent but called for clearer, enumerated definitions and training because administrators may be expected to investigate alleged crimes without appropriate training; she testified in the neutral/other category and submitted written testimony for the committee record. One witness opposed the LYAC component, arguing the youth council’s members are often minors and therefore cannot meaningfully advise public policy; other senators responded that student voice and LYAC participation have been part of prior legislative work.

Committee members asked several procedural questions, including how parental notification works under mandatory‑reporting law; staff answered that mandatory reporters must notify parents of minor students unless abuse suspicion implicates the parent, and OSPI said it would follow up on other technical questions.

Testimony concluded with the committee closing the hearing on SB 5,386; the record includes extensive student testimony urging the bill be expanded to address student‑to‑student misconduct, as well as OSPI support for trauma‑informed training and improved guidance.