Summary of SSB 1099 (renumbered as SF 583)
Introduction and purpose
- SSB 1099 is a proposed bill aimed at enhancing school safety by creating multidisciplinary threat assessment teams (MDTs) and enabling information sharing among a broad set of governmental and school entities.
- The bill focuses on addressing students in kindergarten through 12th grade who are experiencing emotional disturbance or mental illness, or who pose an articulable and significant threat to health and safety.
- Key goal: improve access to appropriate services for at-risk students and strengthen safety for students, staff, and others in schools.
Key provisions and changes
- Covered entities for information sharing
- The bill authorizes sharing of records or information that are reasonably necessary to ensure access to appropriate services or to ensure safety, among covered entities.
- Covered entities include nonpublic schools, charter schools, innovation zone schools, the judicial branch, criminal or juvenile justice agencies, political subdivisions, state agencies, and any service or support providers that contract with such entities.
- Multidisciplinary Threat Assessment Teams (MDTs)
- School districts, accredited nonpublic schools, charter schools, and innovation zone schools are authorized to establish MDTs.
- MDTs are responsible for coordinating resources, assessing, and intervening when a student’s behavior may pose a threat to the safety of the school, staff, or other students.
- MDTs have defined membership (i.e., who participates on the team) and may be formed to cover more than one school if districts partner or share resources.
- The bill allows two schools to enter into an agreement to create a joint MDT covering both institutions.
- Information sharing across MDTs
- MDTs and other covered entities are authorized to share records or information in accordance with the bill’s provisions to better serve students and maintain safety.
- Immunity
- The bill provides immunity from civil liability for actions taken under its framework, subject to the bill’s terms and protections.
Who is affected
- Agencies and entities
- School districts, accredited nonpublic schools, charter schools, and innovation zone schools.
- The judicial branch, criminal or juvenile justice agencies, political subdivisions, state agencies, and service providers contracted with such entities.
- Individuals
- Students in K-12 who may experience emotional disturbance or mental illness, or who may pose threats to safety.
- Staff and administrators who participate in MDTs and information-sharing processes.
Procedural and timeline aspects
- Introduction and legislative path
- Introduced: February 4, 2025, and referred to Judiciary.
- Subcommittee actions: Meetings and hearings occurred in February 2025, with a subcommittee recommendation for amendment and passage on February 19, 2025.
- Committee action: The Committee report approving the bill on March 6, 2025; the bill was renumbered as SF 583 at that time.
- Status
- As of the latest action, the bill has been approved by the committee and renumbered; it advances under the SF 583 designation.
Potential impacts and considerations
- Positive implications
- Enhanced early identification and coordinated response to threats.
- Improved access to services for students in distress.
- Greater collaboration across schools and governmental agencies to protect safety.
- Considerations
- Privacy and data-sharing safeguards will be central, given cross-entity record sharing.
- Implementation costs and resource needs for establishing MDTs and training.
- Clarity on roles, particularly across diverse entities (public, private, and government partners).
In sum, SSB 1099 (SF 583) seeks to formalize threat assessment processes in schools and create a framework for cross-agency cooperation to protect students and staff while streamlining access to needed services.
