Committee approves substitute for Senate Bill 181 requiring traceable electronic communications between school staff and students

The House Standing Committee on Families and Children on Wednesday adopted a house committee substitute for Senate Bill 181 that would require school districts to designate traceable electronic communication systems as the authorized method for staff, volunteers and coaches to contact students. The committee approved the substitute with a favorable expression after a roll call that the chair said recorded 15 aye votes and one pass.

The substitute defines “family member” and exempts certain family communications from the traceable-app requirement, adds volunteer-investigation language at the request of the bill’s senate sponsor, and incorporates elements of House Bill 805 on pages 16 through 41, including provisions governing Child Protective Services reporting and timelines. Sponsor Senator Tichenor said the bill is intended to “put into place standards that protect the integrity of the education profession, the proper relationships between students and those in authority, but most importantly, it will return previous safeguards that protect children and their families.”

The substitute directs local school boards to choose one or more “traceable communication systems” and to notify parents within the first 10 days of the school year which apps or platforms are approved. Senator Tichenor described the policy as a response to what she called a growing number of incidents where adults used social media, messaging apps and gaming platforms to contact students. “It will require school districts to establish a traceable communication system, 1 or more communication systems, programs, or apps that parents will be able to trace and be able to see what contact is happening between that person and authority,” she said.

Parents and guardians would be able to provide written consent designating specific staff and volunteers who may communicate directly with a child outside the approved system; the substitute also keeps the confidentiality of alleged victims and extends certain investigations to 120 days. The sub adds age-appropriate instruction on child abuse prevention “through curriculum or programs in accordance with the standards set forth by the National Children’s Alliance and approved by the Children’s Advocacy Centers of Kentucky,” language the sponsor said appears on page 15 of the substitute.

Two witnesses described personal experience that motivated the sponsor. Stacy Briscoe, identifying herself as a public school teacher from Anderson County, told the committee, “At least 202 text messages that we now know about in 10 phone calls between an adult school employee and our then 16 year old daughter ... outside the knowledge and watch care of us as parents.” Briscoe said the subsequent investigation concluded the allegations were unsubstantiated but argued the bill would restore guardrails she said technology has eroded.

Committee members asked for clarifications. Representative Bojanowski, who said she is also an elementary-school teacher, supported professional boundaries but asked whether districts could authorize multiple apps; the sponsor said the bill’s definition allows “one or more” traceable systems so districts could designate more than one platform to meet different needs (for example, classroom tools vs. athletics). Representative Wilson asked whether the bill governs in-person encounters outside school; Senator Tichenor said the bill applies specifically to electronic communications, and that existing district policies address in-person conduct. Representative Stocker asked how the rule applies to students who are legally adults but still enrolled; the sponsor said she believes district authority still applies while a student is enrolled.

Representative Clines said he favors traceable communication in principle but had unresolved concerns and recorded a pass on the final vote. The committee then adopted a title amendment by voice vote.

Under committee procedure the substitute now goes to the full House; the chair said the committee’s favorable expression should be reflected on the House floor.