HB1492: School safety.

Legislative Summary

School safety. Makes changes to the permissible uses of the Indiana secured school fund. Moves provisions in the Indiana Code pertaining to the appointment of a school safety specialist, school safety specialist programs, and school safety plans. Makes changes to the Indiana secured school fund application procedures. Makes changes to the Indiana secured school fund reporting requirements. Makes various changes to provisions regulating the appointment of a school safety specialist, school safety specialist program, and school safety plans. Requires before December 31, 2023, that each county shall establish a county school safety commission. (Current law provides that a county may establish a county school safety commission.) Requires each school corporation and charter school to establish a safe school committee. Requires the division of school building physical security and safety of the department of education to establish and maintain guidelines, in consultation with the department of homeland security and institute for criminal justice, for developing and maintaining school safety plans and assist the secured school safety board in conducting the review and submitting certain reports. Provides that the governing body of a school corporation or charter school organizer shall: (1) approve or disapprove all school safety specialists chosen by the superintendent of the school corporation or leadership of the charter school; and (2) review the school safety plan. Makes changes to the duties of a school resource officer. Makes changes to information reported by a school corporation or charter school pertaining to a school resource officer that is reported to the department of homeland security. Requires the secured schools safety board to include certain aggregate information relating to the number of school resource officers employed by schools. Provides that an organizer of a charter school shall require each charter school under the authority of the organizer to conduct annual emergency preparedness drills. Makes changes to distribution amounts from the state user fee fund. Makes conforming amendments. Repeals provisions establishing the Indiana safe schools fund, school safe haven programs, and existing provisions relating to the establishment of school safety specialists, county school safety commissions, school safety specialist training and safe school programs. Defines various terms. Provides that a school corporation, charter school, or accredited nonpublic school may receive a matching grant from the Indiana secured school fund to purchase student safety management technology. Makes a technical correction.