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ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVESFifty-seventh Legislature First Regular Session |
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HB 2022: school safety; employee certification; policies
Sponsor: Representative Bliss, LD 1
Committee on Education
Overview
Creates the Save Our Children School Safety Program (Program) and Save Our Children School Safety Program Fund (Fund) within the Arizona Department of Education (ADE). Allows an eligible school to adopt policies to authorize employees to possess a firearm on school grounds if prescribed notification, training and certification requirements are met.
History
A school district governing board must prescribe and enforce policies and procedures that prohibit a person from carrying or possessing a weapon on school grounds unless the person is a peace officer or has obtained specific authorization from the school administrator (A.R.S. § 15-341).
Statute details the acts that constitute a person knowingly committing misconduct involving weapons, which includes possessing a deadly weapon on school grounds. However, this does not apply to the possession of a firearm in statutorily prescribed circumstances, such as possessing a firearm for use on school grounds in a program approved by the school (A.R.S. § 13-3102).
The duties of the Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training (AZPOST) Board include prescribing minimum qualifications, courses of training and training facility standards for law enforcement officers (A.R.S. § 41-1822).
Provisions
Program
1. Establishes the Program within ADE to enhance school safety through employee training, emergency preparedness and crisis response. (Sec. 1)
2. Authorizes ADE to adopt Program rules, policies and procedures. (Sec. 1)
3. Directs ADE, in consultation with the AZPOST Board, to develop a list of training and certification programs that meet or exceed the uniform standards established by AZPOST. (Sec. 1)
4. Instructs ADE to post the training and certification programs list on its website. (Sec. 1)
5. Requires ADE, by December 31 of each odd-numbered year, to submit a report on the Program to specified individuals and post the report on its website. (Sec. 1)
6. Details the information that must be included in the Program report. (Sec. 1)
Fund
7. Establishes the Fund and states that:
a) the Fund is administered by ADE;
b) the Fund consists of legislative appropriations, gifts, grants and other donations; and
c) Fund monies are continuously appropriated and exempt from lapsing. (Sec. 1)
8. Instructs ADE to use Fund monies to provide reimbursements on a first-come, first-served basis for:
a) an eligible school that has:
i. paid for its employees to complete a training or certification program listed by ADE; or
ii. purchased school safety equipment for use at school sites;
b) an employee of an eligible school who:
i. has paid for and successfully completed a training or certification program listed by ADE; and
ii. is not reimbursed by the school for training or certification program costs. (Sec. 1)
9. Defines eligible school as a public or private school that offers instruction in kindergarten or the 1st-12th grades. (Sec. 1)
Eligibility to Carry a Firearm and Confidentiality Requirements
10. Authorizes an eligible school to adopt policies that allow employees to possess and carry a firearm on school grounds if the eligible school:
a) notifies local law enforcement agencies and ADE of the number of employees authorized to possess and carry a firearm on school grounds;
b) ensures that each authorized employee has a valid certification pursuant to a program listed by ADE; and
c) complies with prescribed confidentiality requirements. (Sec.1)
11. States that school policies that authorize employees to possess and carry a firearm on school grounds constitute a school-approved program for the purposes of statute relating to misconduct involving weapons. (Sec. 1)
12. Stipulates a school administrator may authorize an employee to carry or possess a firearm on school grounds only if the eligible school and employee meet the prescribed notification, training and certification requirements. (Sec. 2)
13. Exempts a school employee who has a valid certification from a program listed by ADE and who acts in good faith and consistently with the certification program from civil or criminal liability for their actions in the defense of students, employees or visitors during an active threat or crisis event. (Sec. 1)
14. Asserts that the personally identifiable information of each school employee who participates in a training or certification program listed by ADE or who is authorized to possess and carry a firearm on school grounds is confidential and may not be publicly disclosed. (Sec. 1)
15. Declares a person who violates the prescribed confidentiality requirements is guilty of a class 1 misdemeanor. (Sec. 1)
16. Details what personally identifiable information includes. (Sec. 1)
Uniform Standards for Training and Certification
17. Instructs the AZPOST Board, in consultation with ADE, to establish uniform standards for training and certification programs for which a school or school employee may be reimbursed from the Fund. (Sec. 3)
18. Details the uniform standards for initial certification must include at least:
a) 4 hours of use-of-force training provided by specified individuals;
b) 24 hours of firearms training provided by specified individuals;
c) 4 hours of tactical emergency casualty care training provided by specified individuals; and
d) 8 hours of live scenario training that tests competency in these subjects. (Sec. 3)
19. Requires the uniform standards for annual recertification to include:
a) an AZPOST Board-prescribed firearms qualification course; and
b) continuing education and review of tactical emergency casualty training care provided by specified individuals. (Sec. 3)
Miscellaneous
20. Makes technical changes. (Sec. 2)
21. Makes conforming changes. (Sec. 3)
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