By:  Shapiro                                           S.B. No. 430
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to creation of the Texas School Safety Center.
 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-4           SECTION 1.  Chapter 37, Education Code, is amended by adding
 1-5     Subchapter G to read as follows:
 1-6                  SUBCHAPTER G.  TEXAS SCHOOL SAFETY CENTER
 1-7           Sec. 37.201.  DEFINITION.  In this subchapter, "center" means
 1-8     the Texas School Safety Center.
 1-9           Sec. 37.202.  PURPOSE.  The purpose of the center is to serve
1-10     as:
1-11                 (1)  a central location for school safety information,
1-12     including research, training, and technical assistance related to
1-13     successful school safety programs; and
1-14                 (2)  a resource for the prevention of youth violence
1-15     and the promotion of safety in the state.
1-16           Sec. 37.203.  BOARD.  (a)  The center is governed by a board
1-17     of directors composed of:
1-18                 (1)  the attorney general, or the attorney general's
1-19     designee;
1-20                 (2)  the commissioner, or the commissioner's designee;
1-21                 (3)  the executive director of the Texas Juvenile
1-22     Probation Commission, or the executive director's designee;
1-23                 (4)  the executive director of the Texas Youth
1-24     Commission, or the executive director's designee;
1-25                 (5)  the commissioner of the Texas Department of Mental
 2-1     Health and Mental Retardation, or the commissioner's designee; and
 2-2                 (6)  the following members appointed by the governor
 2-3     with the advice and consent of the senate:
 2-4                       (A)  a juvenile court judge;
 2-5                       (B)  a member of a school district's board of
 2-6     trustees;
 2-7                       (C)  an administrator of a public primary school;
 2-8                       (D)  an administrator of a public secondary
 2-9     school;
2-10                       (E)  a member of the state parent-teacher
2-11     association;
2-12                       (F)  a teacher from a public primary or secondary
2-13     school;
2-14                       (G)  a public school superintendent who is a
2-15     member of the Texas Association of School Administrators;
2-16                       (H)  a school district police officer or a peace
2-17     officer whose primary duty consists of working in a public school;
2-18     and
2-19                       (I)  two members of the public.
2-20           (b)  Members of the board appointed under Subsection (a)(6)
2-21     serve staggered two-year terms, with the terms of the members
2-22     described by Subsections (a)(6)(A)-(E) expiring on February 1 of
2-23     each odd-numbered year and the terms of the members described by
2-24     Subsections (a)(6)(F)-(I) expiring on February 1 of each
2-25     even-numbered year.  A member may serve more than one term.
2-26           (c)  The board may form committees as necessary.
 3-1           Sec. 37.204.  OFFICERS; MEETINGS; COMPENSATION.  (a)  The
 3-2     board shall annually elect from among its members a chairperson and
 3-3     a vice chairperson.
 3-4           (b)  The board shall meet at least four times each year.
 3-5           (c)  A member of the board may not receive compensation but
 3-6     is entitled to reimbursement of the travel expenses incurred by the
 3-7     member while conducting the business of the board as provided by
 3-8     the General Appropriations Act.
 3-9           Sec. 37.205.  SAFETY TRAINING PROGRAMS.  The center shall
3-10     conduct for school districts a safety training program that
3-11     includes:
3-12                 (1)  development of a positive school environment and
3-13     proactive safety measures designed to address local concerns;
3-14                 (2)  school safety courses for law enforcement
3-15     officials, with a focus on school district police officers and
3-16     school resource officers;
3-17                 (3)  discussion of school safety issues with parents
3-18     and community members; and
3-19                 (4)  specialized training for the staff of alternative
3-20     education programs and juvenile justice alternative education
3-21     programs.
3-22           Sec. 37.206.  SCHOOL SAFETY SUMMIT.  The center shall conduct
3-23     a statewide school safety summit that emphasizes mobilization of
3-24     schools, families, and communities to reduce school violence and
3-25     promote school safety.
3-26           Sec. 37.207.  MODEL SAFETY AND SECURITY AUDIT PROCEDURE.  The
 4-1     center shall develop a model safety and security audit procedure
 4-2     for use by school districts that includes:
 4-3                 (1)  providing each district with guidelines and a
 4-4     training video showing proper audit procedures;
 4-5                 (2)  reviewing each district audit, providing the
 4-6     results of the review to the district, and making recommendations
 4-7     for improvements based on the audit; and
 4-8                 (3)  incorporating the findings of district audits in a
 4-9     statewide report on school safety made available by the center to
4-10     the public.
4-11           Sec. 37.208.  ON-SITE ASSISTANCE.  On request of a school
4-12     district, the center shall provide on-site technical assistance to
4-13     the district for:
4-14                 (1)  school safety and security audits; and
4-15                 (2)  school safety and security information and
4-16     presentations.
4-17           Sec. 37.209.  CENTER WEBSITE.  The center shall develop and
4-18     maintain an interactive Internet website that includes:
4-19                 (1)  quarterly news updates related to school safety
4-20     and violence prevention;
4-21                 (2)  school crime data;
4-22                 (3)  a schedule of training and special events; and
4-23                 (4)  a list of persons approved by the board to provide
4-24     school safety presentations.
4-25           Sec. 37.210.  ESSAY CONTEST.  The center shall sponsor a
4-26     student essay contest entitled "Charting the Course for School
 5-1     Safety."
 5-2           Sec. 37.211.  RECOGNITION OF SCHOOLS.  The center shall
 5-3     provide for the public recognition of schools that implement
 5-4     effective school safety measures and violence prevention.
 5-5           Sec. 37.212.  INTERAGENCY COOPERATION.  The center shall
 5-6     promote cooperation between state agencies, institutions of higher
 5-7     education, and any local juvenile delinquency prevention councils
 5-8     to address discipline and safety issues in the state.
 5-9           Sec. 37.213.  SERVICES FOR YOUTH AT RISK OF COMMITTING
5-10     VIOLENT ACTS.  The center shall develop model agreements to be used
5-11     between school districts and other local entities, including health
5-12     agencies, mental health agencies, social service agencies, and
5-13     courts.  The agreements must address the provision of services to
5-14     youth at risk of committing violent acts, including:
5-15                 (1)  cooperation between entities that provide the
5-16     services; and
5-17                 (2)  cost sharing by the entities.
5-18           Sec. 37.214.  AUTHORITY TO ACCEPT CERTAIN FUNDS.  The center
5-19     may solicit and accept gifts, grants, and donations from public and
5-20     private entities to use for the purposes of this subchapter.
5-21           Sec. 37.215.  BUDGET.  (a)  The board shall annually approve
5-22     a budget for the center.
5-23           (b)  The board shall biannually prepare a budget request for
5-24     the center for submission to the legislature.
5-25           Sec. 37.216.  ANNUAL REPORT.  (a)  Not later than September 1
5-26     of each year, the board shall provide a report to the governor, the
 6-1     legislature, the State Board of Education, and the agency.
 6-2           (b)  The annual report must include any findings made by the
 6-3     center regarding school safety and the center's functions, budget
 6-4     information, and strategic planning initiatives of the center.
 6-5           SECTION 2.  The governor shall make the initial appointments
 6-6     required by Section 37.203, Education Code, as added by this Act,
 6-7     not later than October 1, 2001.  Notwithstanding Subsection (b),
 6-8     Section 37.203, Education Code, as added by this Act:
 6-9                 (1)  the initial members appointed under Sections
6-10     37.203(a)(6)(A) through (E), Education Code, serve terms expiring
6-11     February 1, 2003; and
6-12                 (2)  the initial members appointed under Sections
6-13     37.203(a)(6)(F) through (I), Education Code, serve terms expiring
6-14     February 1, 2002.
6-15           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.