H97 - 2015 Appropriations Act, Sec. 8.26: School Safety/Statewide School Risk and Response Management System (SL 2015-241)

Overview: Sec. 8.26 of S.L. 2015-241 makes a variety of clarifying, conforming, and substantive changes to the statutes governing school safety, including the following:

• Replaces the term and definition of "emergency response plans" with "School Risk Management Plans" (SRMP), and makes conforming statutory changes.
• Directs local boards to adopt SRMPs by March 1, 2017.
• Defines the terms "tabletop exercise" and "drill" in relation to school safety exercises.
• Directs each local school administrative unit (LEA) to require each school under its control to annually hold a school-wide tabletop exercise and drill based on procedures documented in its SRMP, including a practice school lockdown due to an intruder on school grounds. Schools are also encouraged to hold additional exercises and drills for other hazards.
• Requires the Division of Emergency Management (Division) in the Department of Public Safety (DPS), and the Center for Safer Schools (Center) to provide guidance and recommendations to LEAs on the hazards to plan and respond to, including intruders on school grounds.
• Creates a new Article (School Risk and Response Management System (SRRMS)) in the statutes pertaining to elementary and secondary education. DPS, the Division, and the Center are directed to construct and maintain this statewide system which should fully integrate and leverage existing data and applications that support school risk planning and exercise, monitoring, and emergency response, including the SRMP tool. All data and information acquired and stored in the SRRMS are not considered public records.
• Directs DPS, the Division, and the Center to implement and maintain an anonymous safety tip line application for purposes of receiving anonymous student information on internal or external risks to the school population, school buildings, and school-related activities.
• Directs DPS, the Division, and the Center to implement and maintain a statewide panic alarm system for the purposes of launching real-time 911 messaging to public safety answering points of internal and external risks to the school population, school buildings, and school-related activities.
• Provides that all data and information gathered and stored in the anonymous safety tip line application are not considered a public record. DPS must implement the anonymous tip line application and statewide panic alarm system by July 1, 2016.
• Clarifies that LEAs must provide, and update as needed, either keys to the main entrance of all school buildings or access to key storage devices.
• Encourages charter and regional schools to adopt SRMPs by March 1, 2017. In adopting an SRMP, a charter and regional school may utilize the SRRMS. Charter and regional schools are also encouraged to (i) hold an annual school-wide lockdown exercise and (ii) provide schematic diagrams and emergency response information to the Division. The schematic diagrams and emergency response information are not considered public records.
• Expands the powers and duties of the Division to include serving as the lead State agency for the implementation and maintenance of the SRRMS.
• Directs DPS, the Division, and the Center to report to the Joint Legislative Oversight Commission on Governmental Operations by February 1, 2016, on (i) the implementation of SRRMS and (ii) the anticipated annual cost to operate and maintain the system.

This section became effective July 1, 2015, and except as otherwise provided, applies beginning with the 2015-2016 school year.