Senate Bill 982 (S-1) as passed
Sponsor: Sen. Mike Nofs
Senate Bill 983 (S-2) as passed
Sponsor: Sen. Marty Knollenberg
Senate Bill 990 (S-2) as passed
Sponsor: Sen. Margaret O’Brien
Senate Bill 991 (proposed substitute H-1)
Sponsor: Sen. Dale Zorn
House Committee: Appropriations
Senate Committee: Appropriations
Complete to 12-11-18
Senate bills 882, 982, 983, 990, and 991 are part of a school safety package that would do all of the following:
· Create the Office of School Safety in the Department of State Police.
· Require the Office of School Safety to create model practices, develop and offer training to school staff, seek and apply for federal funds, and disburse competitive grants relating to school safety.
· Require school districts, intermediate school districts (ISDs), and public school academies (PSAs) to develop an emergency operations plan for each school building by January 1, 2020.
· Allow a school board to hold closed sessions to discuss security planning.
· Require districts, ISDs, and PSAs, in conjunction with local law enforcement agencies, to conduct biennial reviews of their emergency operations plans.
· Require public and nonpublic schools to provide the Department of State Police biannually with at least one school official’s emergency contact information to receive information from a statewide school safety hotline.
· Require a district, ISD, or PSA to consult with a local law enforcement agency on school safety issues before the construction or major renovation of school buildings.
Each bill would take effect 90 days after being enacted. The Senate bills are half of a school safety package that includes the following House bills: 5828, 5829, 5850, 5851, and 5852.
DETAILED SUMMARY:
Senate Bill 882 would amend the Open Meetings Act to allow the board of a district, ISD, PSA, or community college to meet in a closed session in order to consider security planning to address existing threats or prevent potential threats to the safety of the students and staff.
MCL 15.268
Senate Bill 982 would create the Office of School Safety within the Department of State Police (MSP). The director of the Office of School Safety would be appointed under civil service procedures, and the MSP would be responsible for providing the staff and resources necessary for the office to do the following:
· In conjunction with the Department of Education (MDE), create model practices for school safety, including engaging with local law enforcement agencies to assess school buildings for which emergency operations plans (proposed under Senate Bill 983) are being developed.
· Develop and offer training to school staff on school safety.
· In conjunction with MDE, seek and apply for federal funds relating to school safety and the reduction of violence and disruption in schools.
· Create and administer a program to disburse competitive school safety grants to public schools, nonpublic schools, districts, and ISDs.
Senate Bill 983 would amend the Revised School Code to require a district, ISD, or PSA to develop an emergency operations plan approved by its board at a public meeting for each school building it operates by January 1, 2020. The bill defines school building as a building intended for providing instruction or a recreational or athletic structure or field intended for use by students. An emergency operations plan must include guidelines and procedures that address all of the following:
· School violence and attacks.
· Threats of school violence and attacks.
· Bomb threats.
· Fire.
· Weather-related emergencies.
· Intruders.
· Parent and pupil reunification.
· Threats to a school-sponsored activity or event whether or not it is held on school premises.
· A plan to train teachers on mental health and pupil and teacher safety.
· A plan to improve school building security.
· An active violence protocol.
· Continuity of operations after an incident.
· A vulnerability assessment.
A district, ISD, or PSA that implements a statewide school safety information policy (required under Act 102 of 1999) that meets the requirements above would be in compliance with the requirement to develop an emergency operations plan.
In addition, the bill would require a district, ISD, or PSA, in conjunction with at least one local law enforcement agency, to conduct a review of their emergency operations plan or statewide school safety information policy every two years, beginning in the 2019-2020 school year.
A district, ISD, or PSA would have to notify MDE when an emergency operations plan is adopted and again after each biennial review. At least annually, MDE would have to provide the Office of School Safety (proposed under Senate Bill 982) a list of each district, ISD, or PSA that has not developed and adopted an emergency operations plan. The Office of School Safety, in conjunction with a local law enforcement agency, then would be required to notify the governing body of a district, ISD, or PSA of their status.
Finally, the bill would designate an emergency operations plan and any information provided to MDE or the MSP regarding adoption or review of a plan as confidential and exempt from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
Proposed MCL 380.1308a
Senate Bill 990 would amend the Revised School Code to require a district, ISD, or PSA to consult with a local law enforcement agency regarding school safety issues before the construction or major renovation of a school building can begin. The bill defines school building as a building intended for providing instruction or a recreational or athletic structure or field intended for use by students.
Proposed MCL 380.1264
Senate Bill 991 would amend the Student Safety Act to require the governing body of a public or nonpublic school to provide to the MSP, at least twice a year, emergency contact information for at least one school official. The bill is intended to ensure a school official is able to receive reports at any time regarding information submitted to the statewide school safety hotline. A school may provide contact information for more than one school official if the school specifies the days and times that each official is available to receive information.
MCL 752.913
FISCAL IMPACT:
The bills would increase costs for MSP and MDE and also for districts, ISDs, PSAs, and certain local law enforcement agencies.
The MSP estimates that Senate Bill 982 would cost $715,000 and require 4 additional FTEs in order to provide the staff and resources necessary for the Office of School Safety to perform its duties as prescribed in the bill. The additional FTEs would include: 1 First Lieutenant to act as the section commander ($255,000), 1 department specialist ($150,000), and 2 department analysts ($240,000). The MSP also projects travel, training, and IT costs of approximately $70,000.
In addition, the MSP would incur increased administrative costs to receive, track, and send information regarding the completion status of emergency operations plans under Senate Bill 983. The MSP would experience another administrative cost increase under Senate Bill 991, likely minimal and borne by redirection of existing staff time, to collect and maintain emergency contact information for at least one school official from every school.
MDE would incur increased administrative costs under Senate Bill 983 to maintain information about emergency operations plans for districts, ISDs, and PSAs.
Districts, ISDs, PSAs, and local law enforcement agencies could incur increased administrative costs under Senate Bill 983 to develop, implement, and conduct reviews of emergency operations plans. Senate Bill 990 could create another cost increase related to school safety consultations for districts, ISDs, PSAs, and local law enforcement agencies in locations where there is intent to construct a new school building or conduct a major renovation.
Fiscal Analysts: Jacqueline Mullen
Samuel Christensen
Marcus Coffin
Bethany Wicksall
■ This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan House Fiscal Agency staff for use by House members in their deliberations, and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.