AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

 

Currently, the Texas School Safety Center (TxSSC) reviews school districts’ safety plans and provides some safety information and training.

 

C.S.S.B. 1556 creates the School Safety Task Force, comprised of entities with expertise in relevant areas to determine best practices.  The task force brings together experts in school safety, emergency management, rapid response training, and multi-hazard emergencies, headed by the chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management, to study multi-hazard school safety practices and report its findings, including recommendations for any necessary statutory changes, to the legislature before September 1, 2014, and every subsequent even-numbered year.

 

C.S.S.B. 1556 amends current law relating to the establishment of the School Safety Task Force and school safety security criteria.

 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

 

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

 

SECTION 1.  Amends Subchapter C, Chapter 418, Government Code, by adding Section 418.0426, as follows:

 

Sec. 418.0426.  SCHOOL SAFETY TASK FORCE.  (a)  Requires the chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management (chief), or a designee of the chief, the director of the Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training Center, or a designee of the director, the director of the Texas School Safety Center, or a designee of the director, and the agency director of the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (agency director), or a designee of the agency director, to establish a School Safety Task Force (task force).

 

(b)  Requires the chief, or a designee of the chief, to serve as the chair of the task force.

 

(c)  Requires the task force to study best practices for use in school multi-hazard emergency operations planning in order to make recommendations to the Texas School Safety Center and the Office of Homeland Security.

 

(d)  Requires the task force to consider input from school safety personnel, first responders, emergency managers, local officials, school districts, educators, nonprofit organizations, and other stakeholders in order to make its recommendations.

 

(e)  Requires the task force to report its findings, including recommendations for any necessary statutory changes, to the legislature before September 1, 2014, and every subsequent even-numbered year.

 

SECTION 2.  Amends Section 37.2051, Education Code, as follows:

 

Sec. 37.2051.  New heading: SECURITY CRITERIA FOR SAFETY PLANS.  Requires the Texas School Safety Center to develop security criteria that school districts are authorized to consider in the design of school safety plans, rather than in the design of instructional facilities.

 

SECTION 3.  Effective date:  upon passage, or September 1, 2013.