87R9622 JES-D
 
  By: Powell S.B. No. 1683
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the use of the school safety allotment for a school
  district's disaster or pandemic preparation and response.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 42.168, Education Code, as added by
  Chapter 464 (S.B. 11), Acts of the 86th Legislature, Regular
  Session, 2019, is transferred to Subchapter C, Chapter 48,
  Education Code, redesignated as Section 48.115, Education Code, and
  amended to read as follows:
         Sec. 48.115  [42.168]. SCHOOL SAFETY ALLOTMENT.  (a)  From
  funds appropriated for that purpose, the commissioner shall provide
  to a school district an annual allotment of $18, or a greater [in
  the] amount provided by appropriation, for each student in average
  daily attendance.
         (b)  Funds allocated under this section must be used to
  improve school safety and security, including costs associated
  with:
               (1)  securing school facilities, including:
                     (A)  improvements to school infrastructure;
                     (B)  the use or installation of physical barriers;
  and
                     (C)  the purchase and maintenance of:
                           (i)  security cameras or other security
  equipment; and
                           (ii)  technology, including communications
  systems or devices, that facilitates communication and information
  sharing between students, school personnel, and first responders in
  an emergency;
               (2)  providing security for the district, including:
                     (A)  employing school district peace officers,
  private security officers, and school marshals; and
                     (B)  collaborating with local law enforcement
  agencies, such as entering into a memorandum of understanding for
  the assignment of school resource officers to schools in the
  district;
               (3)  school safety and security training and planning,
  including:
                     (A)  active shooter and emergency response
  training;
                     (B)  prevention and treatment programs relating
  to addressing adverse childhood experiences; and
                     (C)  the prevention, identification, and
  management of emergencies and threats, including:
                           (i)  providing mental health personnel and
  support;
                           (ii)  providing behavioral health services;
  and
                           (iii)  establishing threat reporting
  systems; [and]
               (4)  providing programs related to suicide prevention,
  intervention, and postvention; and
               (5)  disaster and pandemic preparation and response,
  including purchasing any item recommended for disaster or pandemic
  preparation or response by the Centers for Disease Control and
  Prevention or a local health authority.
         (c)  A school district may use funds allocated under this
  section for equipment or software that is used for a school safety
  and security purpose and an instructional purpose, provided that
  the instructional use does not compromise the safety and security
  purpose of the equipment or software.
         (d)  The commissioner may accept gifts, grants, and
  donations from any public or private source and shall seek to obtain
  all available federal money to assist in providing the allotment
  under this section [A school district that is required to take
  action under Chapter 41 to reduce its wealth per student to the
  equalized wealth level is entitled to a credit, in the amount of the
  allotments to which the district is to receive as provided by
  appropriation, against the total amount required under Section
  41.093 for the district to purchase attendance credits.
         [(e)  The commissioner may adopt rules to implement this
  section].
         SECTION 2.  Section 37.108(b-1), Education Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (b-1)  In a school district's safety and security audit
  required under Subsection (b), the district must certify that the
  district used the funds provided to the district through the school
  safety allotment under Section 48.115 [42.168] only for the
  purposes provided by that section.
         SECTION 3.  To the extent of any conflict, this Act prevails
  over another Act of the 87th Legislature, Regular Session, 2021,
  relating to nonsubstantive additions to and corrections in enacted
  codes.
         SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.