1-1 By: Shapiro S.B. No. 430 1-2 (In the Senate - Filed January 29, 2001; January 29, 2001, 1-3 read first time and referred to Committee on Education; 1-4 March 12, 2001, reported adversely, with favorable Committee 1-5 Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 8, Nays 0; March 12, 2001, 1-6 sent to printer.) 1-7 COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 430 By: Shapiro 1-8 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-9 AN ACT 1-10 relating to creation of the Texas School Safety Center. 1-11 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-12 SECTION 1. Chapter 37, Education Code, is amended by adding 1-13 Subchapter G to read as follows: 1-14 SUBCHAPTER G. TEXAS SCHOOL SAFETY CENTER 1-15 Sec. 37.201. DEFINITION. In this subchapter, "center" means 1-16 the Texas School Safety Center. 1-17 Sec. 37.202. PURPOSE. The purpose of the center is to serve 1-18 as: 1-19 (1) a central location for school safety information, 1-20 including research, training, and technical assistance related to 1-21 successful school safety programs; and 1-22 (2) a resource for the prevention of youth violence 1-23 and the promotion of safety in the state. 1-24 Sec. 37.203. BOARD. (a) The center is governed by a board 1-25 of directors composed of: 1-26 (1) the attorney general, or the attorney general's 1-27 designee; 1-28 (2) the commissioner, or the commissioner's designee; 1-29 (3) the executive director of the Texas Juvenile 1-30 Probation Commission, or the executive director's designee; 1-31 (4) the executive director of the Texas Youth 1-32 Commission, or the executive director's designee; 1-33 (5) the commissioner of the Texas Department of Mental 1-34 Health and Mental Retardation, or the commissioner's designee; and 1-35 (6) the following members appointed by the governor 1-36 with the advice and consent of the senate: 1-37 (A) a juvenile court judge; 1-38 (B) a member of a school district's board of 1-39 trustees; 1-40 (C) an administrator of a public primary school; 1-41 (D) an administrator of a public secondary 1-42 school; 1-43 (E) a member of the state parent-teacher 1-44 association; 1-45 (F) a teacher from a public primary or secondary 1-46 school; 1-47 (G) a public school superintendent who is a 1-48 member of the Texas Association of School Administrators; 1-49 (H) a school district police officer or a peace 1-50 officer whose primary duty consists of working in a public school; 1-51 and 1-52 (I) two members of the public. 1-53 (b) Members of the board appointed under Subsection (a)(6) 1-54 serve staggered two-year terms, with the terms of the members 1-55 described by Subsections (a)(6)(A)-(E) expiring on February 1 of 1-56 each odd-numbered year and the terms of the members described by 1-57 Subsections (a)(6)(F)-(I) expiring on February 1 of each 1-58 even-numbered year. A member may serve more than one term. 1-59 (c) The board may form committees as necessary. 1-60 Sec. 37.204. OFFICERS; MEETINGS; COMPENSATION. (a) The 1-61 board shall annually elect from among its members a chairperson and 1-62 a vice chairperson. 1-63 (b) The board shall meet at least four times each year. 1-64 (c) A member of the board may not receive compensation but 2-1 is entitled to reimbursement of the travel expenses incurred by the 2-2 member while conducting the business of the board as provided by 2-3 the General Appropriations Act. 2-4 Sec. 37.205. SAFETY TRAINING PROGRAMS. The center shall 2-5 conduct for school districts a safety training program that 2-6 includes: 2-7 (1) development of a positive school environment and 2-8 proactive safety measures designed to address local concerns; 2-9 (2) school safety courses for law enforcement 2-10 officials, with a focus on school district police officers and 2-11 school resource officers; 2-12 (3) discussion of school safety issues with parents 2-13 and community members; and 2-14 (4) specialized training for the staff of alternative 2-15 education programs and juvenile justice alternative education 2-16 programs. 2-17 Sec. 37.206. SCHOOL SAFETY SUMMIT. The center shall conduct 2-18 a statewide school safety summit that emphasizes mobilization of 2-19 schools, families, and communities to reduce school violence and 2-20 promote school safety. 2-21 Sec. 37.207. MODEL SAFETY AND SECURITY AUDIT PROCEDURE. The 2-22 center shall develop a model safety and security audit procedure 2-23 for use by school districts that includes: 2-24 (1) providing each district with guidelines and a 2-25 training video showing proper audit procedures; 2-26 (2) reviewing each district audit, providing the 2-27 results of the review to the district, and making recommendations 2-28 for improvements based on the audit; and 2-29 (3) incorporating the findings of district audits in a 2-30 statewide report on school safety made available by the center to 2-31 the public. 2-32 Sec. 37.208. ON-SITE ASSISTANCE. On request of a school 2-33 district, the center shall provide on-site technical assistance to 2-34 the district for: 2-35 (1) school safety and security audits; and 2-36 (2) school safety and security information and 2-37 presentations. 2-38 Sec. 37.209. CENTER WEBSITE. The center shall develop and 2-39 maintain an interactive Internet website that includes: 2-40 (1) quarterly news updates related to school safety 2-41 and violence prevention; 2-42 (2) school crime data; 2-43 (3) a schedule of training and special events; and 2-44 (4) a list of persons approved by the board to provide 2-45 school safety presentations. 2-46 Sec. 37.210. ESSAY CONTEST. The center shall sponsor a 2-47 student essay contest entitled "Charting the Course for School 2-48 Safety." 2-49 Sec. 37.211. RECOGNITION OF SCHOOLS. The center shall 2-50 provide for the public recognition of schools that implement 2-51 effective school safety measures and violence prevention. 2-52 Sec. 37.212. INTERAGENCY COOPERATION. The center shall 2-53 promote cooperation between state agencies, institutions of higher 2-54 education, and any local juvenile delinquency prevention councils 2-55 to address discipline and safety issues in the state. 2-56 Sec. 37.213. SERVICES FOR AT-RISK YOUTH. The center shall 2-57 develop model agreements to be used between school districts and 2-58 other local entities, including health agencies, mental health 2-59 agencies, social service agencies, and courts. The agreements must 2-60 address the provision of services to at-risk youth, including: 2-61 (1) cooperation between entities that provide the 2-62 services; and 2-63 (2) cost sharing by the entities. 2-64 Sec. 37.214. AUTHORITY TO ACCEPT CERTAIN FUNDS. The center 2-65 may solicit and accept gifts, grants, and donations from public and 2-66 private entities to use for the purposes of this subchapter. 2-67 Sec. 37.215. BUDGET. (a) The board shall annually approve 2-68 a budget for the center. 2-69 (b) The board shall biannually prepare a budget request for 3-1 the center for submission to the legislature. 3-2 Sec. 37.216. ANNUAL REPORT. (a) Not later than September 1 3-3 of each year, the board shall provide a report to the governor, the 3-4 legislature, the State Board of Education, and the agency. 3-5 (b) The annual report must include any findings made by the 3-6 center regarding school safety and the center's functions, budget 3-7 information, and strategic planning initiatives of the center. 3-8 SECTION 2. The governor shall make the initial appointments 3-9 required by Section 37.203, Education Code, as added by this Act, 3-10 not later than October 1, 2001. Notwithstanding Subsection (b), 3-11 Section 37.203, Education Code, as added by this Act: 3-12 (1) the initial members appointed under Sections 3-13 37.203(a)(6)(A) through (E), Education Code, serve terms expiring 3-14 February 1, 2003; and 3-15 (2) the initial members appointed under Sections 3-16 37.203(a)(6)(F) through (I), Education Code, serve terms expiring 3-17 February 1, 2002. 3-18 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001. 3-19 * * * * *