ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Fifty-fifth Legislature

Second Regular Session

HB 2542: appropriations; school safety; interoperability

Sponsor: Representative Payne, LD 21

Committee on Military Affairs & Public Safety

Overview

Appropriates $5,160,000 in FY 2023 from the state General Fund (GF) to the School Safety Inoperability Fund (SSIF).

History

The SSIF consists of monies appropriated by the Legislature and is administered by the State Treasurer. Money in the fund may only be distributed to a county sheriff that establishes a school safety pilot program (A.R.S. § 41-1733).

A school safety pilot program must:

1) Encompass up to 800 schools that are across three different counties. One county must have more than 3,000,000 people, the other two a population less than 500,000;

2) Include a data communications system for users consisting of public safety agencies and public schools providing instruction for Kindergarten or grades 1-12;

3) Provide a communication environment that allows for the following during an incident at the school:

a) System users to identify themselves, their location and operational status;

b) Secure text messaging and file sharing to users involved;

c) Secure sharing of collaborative maps, building floor plans and images between school and public safety agencies;

d) Manual activation of an alarm system that, when activated, establishes direct communication between schools and public safety agencies; and

e) Use of multiple forms of real-time communication and collaboration;

4) Be operational by users on existing communication systems;

5) Allow users to maintain control of communication owned or operated by the entity;

6) Encrypt all media communications;

7) Be certified under the United States Department of Homeland Security Act as qualified anti-terrorism technology;

8) Be compatible with the Federal Emergency Management Agency Interoperable Gateway System for disaster communications; and

9) Ensure student and staff privacy (A.R.S. § 41-1733).

On or before November 1 of each year, a county sheriff that has established a school safety pilot program must submit a report to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee of all expenditures made for the program in the preceding fiscal year (A.R.S. § 41-1733).

Provisions

1. Appropriates $5,160,000 in FY 2023 from the state GF to the SSIF. (Sec. 1)

2. Requires monies to be distributed as follows:

a) $100,000 to Apache County sheriff;

b) $350,000 to Cochise County sheriff;

c) $350,000 to Coconino County sheriff;

d) $275,000 to Gila County sheriff;

e) $275,000 to Graham County sheriff;

f) $225,000 to Greenlee County sheriff;

g) $150,000 to La Paz County sheriff;

h) $1,750,000 to Maricopa County sheriff;

i) $360,000 to Mohave County sheriff;

j) $275,000 to Navajo County sheriff;

k) $625,000 to Pinal County sheriff; and

l) $425,000 to Yavapai County sheriff. (Sec. 1)

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p) HB 2542

q) Initials FK/KM Page 0 Military Affairs & Public Safety

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