BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Research Center C.S.S.B. 11
Transportation & Homeland Security
Committee Report (Substituted)
AUTHOR'S/SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
Currently, there are no statutory requirements for public schools to participate in emergency preparedness drills or training for school teachers and administrators. This legislation is to ensure the security of children while they are at school.
C.S.S.B. 11 requires each school district, among other requirements, to adopt and implement a multi-hazard emergency operations plan that provides for: district employee training in responding to an emergency; mandatory school drills to prepare district students and employees for responding to an emergency; measures to ensure coordination with local emergency management agencies, law enforcement, and fire departments in the event of an emergency; at least one mandatory security audit every three years developed by the Texas School Safety Center; and required reporting of results from the security audit to the school district board of trustees.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Subchapter D, Chapter 37, Education Code, by adding Section 37.108, as follows:
Sec. 37.108. MULTI-HAZARD EMERGENCY OPERATIONS PLAN; SECURITY AUDIT. (a) Requires each school district to adopt and implement a multi-hazard emergency operations plan for use in district schools. Requires the plan to address mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery as recommended by the United States Department of Homeland Security. Requires the plan to provide for the implementation of certain procedures and precautionary measures.
(b) Requires a school district, at least once every three years, to conduct a security audit of the district's facilities. Requires a district, to the extent possible, to follow security audit procedures developed by the Texas School Safety Center (center) or a comparable public or private entity.
(c) Requires a district to report the results of the security audit conducted under Subsection (b) to the district's board of trustees.
SECTION 2. Amends Section 37.203(a), Education Code, to provide that the center is advised, rather than governed, by a board of directors composed of certain members.
SECTION 3. Amends Section 37.205, Education Code, as follows:
Sec. 37.205. SAFETY TRAINING PROGRAMS. Requires the center to conduct for school districts a safety training program that includes assistance in developing a multi-hazard emergency operations plan for adoption under Section 37.108.
SECTION 4. Amends Subchapter G, Chapter 37, Education Code, by adding Section 37.2051, as follows:
Sec. 37.2051. SECURITY CRITERIA FOR INSTRUCTIONAL FACILITIES. Requires the center to develop security criteria that school districts may consider in the design of instructional facilities.
SECTION 5. Amends Section 37.215(b), Education Code, to require the center, rather than the board of directors of the center, to biannually prepare a budget request for submission to the legislature.
SECTION 6. Amends Subchapter A, Chapter 46, Education Code, by adding Section 46.0081, as follows:
Sec. 46.0081. SECURITY CRITERIA IN DESIGN OF INSTRUCTIONAL FACILITIES. Requires a school district that constructs a new instructional facility or conducts a major renovation of an existing instructional facility using funds allotted to the district under this subchapter to consider, in the design of the instructional facility, security criteria developed by the center under Section 37.2051.
SECTION 7. (a) Requires the center, no later than December 1, 2005, to develop a school safety program that includes certain requirements and develop certain security criteria.
(b) Requires each school district, no later than March 1, 2006, to adopt a multi-hazard emergency operations plan as required by Section 37.108, education Code, as added by this Act.
SECTION 8. Effective date: September 1, 2005.