ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Fifty-fifth Legislature

First Regular Session

House: MAPS DPA 10-4-0-0

HB 2463: appropriation; DPS; school safety program

Sponsor: Representative Payne, LD 21

Committee on Appropriations

Overview

Requires the Department of Public Safety (DPS) to establish a school safety program and creates the Arizona School Safety Fund.

History

The Joint Ad Hoc Committee on Statewide Emergency Communications (Committee) was established on August 29, 2019 by House Speaker Russell W. "Rusty" Bowers and Senate President Karen Fann. The Committee met 5 times to learn and gather input from various professionals in the areas of law enforcement and emergency management and came up with recommendations for future legislation.

On January 23, 2020, the Committee adopted recommendations that included a commission or the DPS director to review new technologies relating to the expansion of statewide emergency communications regarding school safety, have clear and robust privacy-protection rules that accompany the acquisition and use of any systems that connect cameras in schools to law enforcement agencies, and expanding the entire interoperability system but to not exceed $10 million.

Provisions

1. Changes the name of the Public Safety Interoperability Fund to the Arizona School Safety Fund. (Sec. 1)

2. States the monies in the Arizona School Safety Fund can only be used for school safety programs. (Sec. 1)

3. Appropriates $2,000,000 from the state General Fund (GF) to the Arizona School Safety Fund in FY 2022. (Sec. 2)

4. States that monies appropriated may be spent only for a school safety program that meets the following requirements:

a) Enables the statewide deployment of a secure, multimedia data communications systems to public safety agencies and public and private schools;

b) Provides a communications solution environment;

c) Is capable of being deployed to end users on existing communications assets owned by participating entities;

d) Allows each participating entity to maintain discretionary real-time control of all communications assets owned or operated by an entity;

e) Encrypts all media communications; and

f) Ensures student and staff privacy. (Sec. 3)

5. Exempts the appropriations from lapsing. (Secs. 2 and 3)

Amendments

Committee on Military Affairs & Public Safety

1. Requires the State Treasurer, rather than DPS, to administer the Arizona School Safety Fund.

2. States that monies in the Arizona School Safety Fund can only be used by the Maricopa County Sheriff for school safety programs.

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6. HB 2463

7. Initials ES/SM Page 0 Appropriations

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