The Pennsylvania Safe2Say Something program has undoubtedly prevented terrible violence and tragedies from occurring by offering a confidential platform for students and adults to report tips to the proper authorities.
 
Unfortunately for some students, these reports may not always remain anonymous, leading to potential harm for the reporting student.  A student in my district had their identity revealed after making a report that protected a student from violence.
 
Unfortunately, instead of protecting their identity, this student was identified as the anonymous source of a Safe2Say report and afterwards was harassed by other students. This incident and subsequent bullying should never have happened. With over 30,000 reports made in the 2024-2025 school year, youth and adults need to feel comfortable in reporting school issues without facing backlash due to their identity being revealed.
 
My legislation will increase the penalty for violating the confidentiality requirement of the Safe2Say Something program to a misdemeanor of the second degree. Currently, a person who discloses a record in violation of this section commits a misdemeanor of the third degree. Additional required training components are also included in the legislation that addresses complying with confidentiality requirements for current and future employees.
 
Please consider joining me in co-sponsoring this important piece of legislation that will help protect students and the confidentiality of the Safe2Say Something program.