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ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVESFifty-seventh Legislature First Regular Session |
House: ED DPA 8-4-0-0 |
HB 2074: school safety; proposals; assessments; plans
Sponsor: Representative Gress, LD 4
House Engrossed
Overview
Expands the costs supported by the School Safety Program (Program) to include school safety officers (SSOs), establishes a process for alternative Program proposals and subjects participating Program schools to emergency response plan and school safety assessment requirements. Requires a charter school to develop an emergency response plan. Establishes training requirements for officers on school campuses. Exempts school building blueprints and floor plans from public records.
History
The Program supports the costs of placing school resource officers (SROs), juvenile probation officers (JPOs), school counselors and school social workers on school campuses. A school district or charter school may apply to the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) to participate in the Program for up to three fiscal years and, if approved to participate, may annually submit a modified spending plan for its approved program.
When applying to participate in the Program, a school district or charter school must submit a proposal with a detailed description of school safety needs and, if the school district or charter school previously participated in the Program, information on the success and implementation of the most recent Program grant. A Program proposal for an SRO or JPO must also include a plan for a law-related education program and a plan to use trained SROs or JPOs. A Program proposal for a school social worker or school counselor must include a plan for implementing a school guidance and counseling program.
ADE must review and administer Program proposals in cooperation with specified entities and individuals depending on the positions funded. ADE, subject to review and approval by the State Board of Education, must distribute monies to school districts and charter schools whose Program proposals are approved (A.R.S. § 15-154).
In conjunction with local law enforcement and emergency response agencies, a school district governing board must develop an emergency response plan for each school in accordance with the minimum standards developed by ADE and the Department of Emergency and Military Affairs (DEMA). The plan must address how the school and emergency responders will communicate with and assist students with disabilities (A.R.S. § 15-341).
Provisions
Program Proposals and Requirements
1. Expands the Program to support the costs of:
a) placing SSOs on school campuses; and
b) purchasing safety technology, safety training and infrastructure improvements for school campuses. (Sec. 2)
2. Subjects a Program proposal for supporting the costs of placing SROs, JPOs or SSOs, or any combination, to the same statutory Program proposal requirements. (Sec. 2)
3. Adds that a Program proposal for SROs, JPOs, SSOs, school counselors or school social workers must contain a plan to provide each school site's current school building blueprints, floor plans and school safety assessments to the local law enforcement agency, emergency medical services provider and fire department that provides services to the school site. (Sec. 2)
4. Requires a Program proposal for SROs, JPOs or SSOs, or any combination, to contain a plan to train these officers on the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, civil rights and adolescent mental health issues. (Sec. 2)
5. Specifies that ADE must distribute Program monies to school districts and charter schools that are in compliance with requirements for Program proposals, emergency response plans and annual school safety assessments. (Sec. 2)
6. Applies dispute resolution process requirements for a school district or charter school that received an SRO grant to a school district or charter school that received an SSO grant. (Sec. 2)
7. Instructs ADE to cooperate with specified individuals to allow a law enforcement agency to assign an individual who was previously employed as a peace officer in Arizona and who retired in good standing to participate in the Program. (Sec. 4)
8. Expands the definition of SRO to include an individual who:
a) was previously employed as a peace officer in Arizona;
b) retired in good standing; and
c) is assigned to participate in the Program by a law enforcement agency. (Sec. 2)
9. Defines SSO as an SRO who is working in an off-duty capacity. (Sec. 2)
Alternative Program Proposals
10. Allows a school district or charter school with an approved Program proposal that cannot place an SRO, JPO, SSO, school counselor or school social worker to submit an alternative Program proposal for supporting the costs of purchasing safety technology, safety training and infrastructure improvements for its school campuses. (Sec. 2)
11. Details information that must be included in the alternative Program proposal. (Sec. 2)
12. Directs ADE to review and administer the safety technology, safety training and infrastructure improvement Program proposals. (Sec. 2)
13. Specifies ADE must use relevant crime statistics to assess the needs of each alternative Program proposal and may visit school districts and charter schools to verify the information in the Program proposal. (Sec. 2)
14. Authorizes ADE to approve all or part of a safety technology, safety training or infrastructure improvement Program proposal. (Sec. 2)
15. Includes approved alternative Program proposals in Program reporting requirements for ADE. (Sec. 2)
Emergency Response Plans and School Safety Assessments
16. Requires each school district and charter school that receives Program monies for an approved school safety program to:
a) develop an emergency response plan for each school site; and
b) contract with a school safety assessment provider from the list compiled by ADE to conduct a school safety assessment every five years. (Sec. 3)
17. Authorizes a school district to use an emergency response plan developed by the school district governing board to satisfy the emergency response plan requirement. (Sec. 3)
18. Instructs ADE to compile a list of approved school safety assessment providers and make the list available to school districts and charter schools that participate in the Program. (Sec. 3)
19. Mandates ADE, every three years, conduct a safety assessment of randomly selected school districts and charter schools that are participating in the Program. (Sec. 3)
20. Directs ADE to provide a copy of a school's safety assessment results to specified school officials. (Sec. 3)
21. Requires a charter school, in conjunction with local law enforcement and emergency response agencies, to develop an emergency response plan for each school in accordance with ADE and DEMA minimum standards. (Sec. 5)
22. Specifies any emergency response plan developed by a charter school must address how the school and emergency responders will communicate with and assist students with disabilities. (Sec. 4)
Miscellaneous
23. Mandates each school district or charter school that employs officers on school campuses to train each officer how to recognize and effectively interact with children with disabilities. (Sec. 1)
24. Defines officer. (Sec. 1)
25. Exempts school building blueprints and floor plans from public records and public record requests. (Sec. 2)
26. Makes technical changes. (Sec. 2, 4)
27. Makes conforming changes. (Sec. 2, 4)
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HB 2074
Initials CH Page 0 House Engrossed
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