Since 2000, the Indiana Legislature has been a national leader when it comes to researching and enacting legislation aimed at securing our schools and keeping our children safe while they learn. The bills and enrolled acts listed below provide some background and detail as to how Indiana became a leader with school safety.
Indiana is one of a handful of states with legislation designed to remove or restrict handguns from people when exigent circumstances exist that threaten public safety. If enacted by a judge, a person can be prevented from purchasing, possessing or acquiring firearms.
Provides that an executive session may be held to discuss the assessment, design, and implementation of school safety and security measures, plans, and systems. Provides that school safety and security measures, plans, and systems, including emergency preparedness plans, are confidential at the discretion of the public agency.
Requires a school safety committee to submit a copy of the floor plans for each building located on the school’s property to the law enforcement agency and the fire department that have jurisdiction over the school. Requires at least one (1) tornado preparedness drill and (2) manmade occurrence disaster drills during each semester of school. Provides that the governing body of a school corporation may establish a school corporation police department. Requires school corporation police officers to have law enforcement academy education and pre-basic and basic training to participate in local continuing education programs.
Specifies how a school resource officer program may be established and sets forth duties and responsibilities for school resource officers. Establishes the Indiana secured school fund to provide matching grants to enable school corporations and charter schools to establish programs to:
Creates the secured school safety board to approve or disapprove applications. Provides that, to be eligible for a matching grant, the school corporation must be located in a county that has a county school safety commission. Requires a law enforcement agency to notify a school if a student is apprehended because it had reasonable grounds to believe the student has a mental illness, is dangerous, and is in need of hospitalization and treatment.
Permits the secured school safety board to award a matching grant for school resource officer training. Requires a school resource officer to be: (1) employed by a law enforcement agency; (2) appointed as a police reserve officer or special deputy; or employed as a school corporation police officer. Permits the Indiana law enforcement training board to approve school resource officer training programs.
Requires the department of homeland security to establish minimum standards and approve best practices not later than July 1, 2017, for a school emergency response system. Defines the term "emergency response system." Defines the term "school property." Requires the department to establish emergency response system guidelines with input from the division of school building safety.
Provides that curriculum for the school safety specialist training program must include training in the identifying, preventing, and intervening in actions by a person who is present on school property with the intent to harm another person. Allows charter schools and accredited nonpublic schools to elect to comply with certain laws regarding school safety specialists, school safety plans and safe school committees. Provides that a school corporation, charter school, or a coalition of public schools applying jointly may receive an advance from the common school fund. Provides that the state board of education in consultation with the secured school safety board, shall administer the program. Provides that a school may barricade or block a door for a period not to exceed three minutes in the event of an unplanned fire alarm in order for a school official to investigate the alarm. Provides the time period may be extended in the event an active shooter has been verified to be on the school’s property. Provides that the state fire marshal shall send written guidance to each school describing how a school may apply current fire safety requirements. Provides that the amount appropriated by HEA 1001-2017 for the Indiana secured school safety fund may be augmented from the state general fund by an amount not to exceed $5 million.
Provides that school corporations, charter schools, and accredited nonpublic schools with the sheriff for the county in which the school corporation, charter school, or accredited nonpublic school is located, may apply for a grant from the Indiana secured school fund to provide for the initial setup costs for an active event warning system. Requires guidelines published by the department of homeland security to include information about implementing: (1) universal electronic access to school property for law enforcement in all schools within each county; and (2) access to closed circuit cameras from a central location to be used in an emergency situation.
Provides that an accredited nonpublic school may receive a grant from the Indiana secured school fund. Makes changes to the maximum grant amounts schools may receive. Provides that, before July 1, 2021, each school corporation, charter school, or accredited nonpublic school shall certify to the department of homeland security that it has conducted a threat assessment for each school building used by the school corporation. Requires that at least one of the required manmade disaster drills conducted each semester must be an active shooter drill and must be conducted within 90 days after the beginning of the school year. Provides that each accredited nonpublic school and charter school must conduct at least one active shooter drill during each school year.
Adds additional purposes for which matching grants made under the Indiana secured school fund (fund) may be used. Amends the uses relating to school security for which the fund may be used. Establishes the student and parent support services grant program. Urges the legislative council to assign to an appropriate interim study committee the task of studying school districts, within and outside of Indiana, that have: (1) implemented trauma informed approaches in the school districts; and (2) worked with community partners to provide systems of care for students.
Requires a school corporation, charter school, or accredited nonpublic school to certify to the department of homeland security that the school corporation, charter school, or accredited nonpublic school has a memorandum of understanding in place with a community mental health center or provider certified or licensed by the state to provide mental and behavioral health services to students before applying for a grant from the Indiana secured school fund. Provides that the community mental health center or provider may be employed by the school corporation, charter school, or accredited nonpublic school. Requires a school corporation and a charter school to enter into a memorandum of understanding with a community mental health center or provider certified or licensed by the state to provide mental and behavioral health services to students. Requires the division of mental health and addiction to develop a memorandum of understanding for referral and assist school corporations and charter schools in obtaining a memorandum of understanding with a community mental health center or an appropriate provider. Requires each school corporation and charter school that enters into a memorandum of understanding with a community mental health center or appropriate provider to comply with certain confidentiality and referral requirements.
Makes changes to the definition of "school resource officer." Provides that, after June 30, 2023, if a school corporation or charter school enters into a contract for a school resource officer, certain school corporations or charter schools must enter into a memorandum of understanding with the law enforcement agency that employs or appointed the law enforcement officer who will perform the duties of a school resource officer.
Removes the dates of implementation that schools must certify they have conducted a threat assessment for each school building and certify they have a memorandum of understanding in place with a community mental health facility or provider.
SB369 (2023) Automated External Defibrillator (AED) Requirements