Oregon school tip line law

Does Oregon require a school tip line?

Yes, but the duty is on the state. The Oregon Department of State Police (OSP) is required by statute to establish a statewide tip line for confidential reports of threats to student safety. The statute defines the tip line as a statewide resource that accepts information by methods including phone calls, text messages and the internet. OSP must adopt rules to establish and operate the tip line, in consultation with state and local government behavioral health care providers. The Oregon Department of Education (ODE) names the line SafeOregon, ties the name to the 2016 law (HB 4075) that created it, and describes it as a way for students, staff and the public to report threats to student safety anonymously. ODE says SafeOregon is not a complaint line, a crisis line or a replacement for 9-1-1. That is an agency practice statement, not law.

Who runs it?

The tip line program sits in the Public Safety Services Bureau of the Oregon State Police. OSP's contracted tip line vendor must keep the line working 24 hours a day, seven days a week. ODE must establish and maintain the Statewide School Safety and Prevention System. That system includes promoting the tip line, and ODE's school safety and prevention specialists must work with OSP to help districts and ESDs (education service districts) access and implement it.

Which students are covered?

The statute's definition of student covers students of school districts and of private schools serving K-12. The OSP rule's definition of student also covers public charter school students.

What must schools do?

The statute that names tip line promotion puts it on ODE's system and specialists, and sets no duty on districts to publicize the line or train on it. Under the OSP rule, schools, school districts and ESDs must keep current lists of responsible staff and service providers who can handle tips, and give those lists to the tip line. The rule lists four duties for schools, districts and ESDs: contact lists, verifying tips, forwarding them, and following up and closing them. None of the four is to publicize the tip line or train students or staff on it. Under the rule, schools, districts and ESDs are responsible for following up on assigned tips and closing them in the tip line system. Separately from the tip line, every district's bullying and cyberbullying policy under ORS 339.356 must let students and volunteers report anonymously, but no remedial action may rest solely on an anonymous report.

How are tips routed and answered?

OSP's rules must include procedures for relaying threat information to local law enforcement contacts, service providers and education provider contacts. When a tip arrives, the technician must assess it immediately and may not delay contacting responders or school officials if there is an immediate threat. When a tip appears to present immediate danger or a threat of serious harm, the technician must immediately contact the appropriate law enforcement, education or service provider contacts. Tips about possible criminal activity must go to the local law enforcement agency for that jurisdiction, in addition to the school-level notifications. The routing rule sets no numeric time limit; it says only "immediately" for imminent-danger tips.

Are tips anonymous and confidential?

Anyone submitting a tip may identify themselves or stay anonymous. The tip line may not disclose a tipster's identity except as the rules provide or law requires. Tip contents may be disclosed only as allowed by the public-records exemption in ORS 192.345(41), and personally identifiable information about the reporter only as ORS 339.329 provides. Tip contents are conditionally exempt from public records disclosure, meaning they stay private unless the public interest requires disclosure in a particular case; a reporter's identifying information is not subject to that balancing and stays exempt. Anyone who receives tip information, including a school, may use it only to make follow-up contact. Anyone who receives tip line information may not tell the public the outcomes of tips unless another statute requires it.

What about false reports or misuse?

It is a crime to knowingly call the tip line for a purpose other than reporting a situation the person reasonably believes needs prompt service to preserve life or property. Improper use of the emergency communications system, including misuse of the tip line, is a Class A misdemeanor.

What data is reported?

OSP's rules must provide for reporting that tracks referrals to law enforcement and service providers and the outcomes of those referrals. OSP must produce annual and other reports with aggregated data only; reports may not identify reporters, students or specific schools. OSP may release aggregated or summary information about the tip line but may not disclose reporter-identifying information.

How is it funded?

HB 4075 (2016) appropriated $1 million from the General Fund to OSP for the 2015-17 biennium to establish and operate the tip line. OSP may seek and accept gifts, grants and donations to run the tip line. The 2025-27 OSP General Fund appropriation section (HB 5029) names five broad program lines and no tip-line line item.

What changed recently?

The 2016 law, Or. Laws 2016 ch. 74 (HB 4075), took effect March 29, 2016. ORS 339.329 has not been amended since 2021, per the history note in the 2025 ORS edition. The official 2026 table of amended or repealed sections does not list ORS 339.329, 339.341 or 339.356. HB 4088 (2026), enacted as Oregon Laws 2026, chapter 52, amended the public-records statute but restates the tip-contents exemption unchanged. The OSP tip line rules have not been amended since OSP 2-2017, filed and effective June 6, 2017.