House Bill No. 624, introduced by Representative Mike Johnson, aims to revise the requirements for emergency operations plans at public schools in Louisiana. The bill replaces the term "crisis management and response" with "emergency operations" throughout the relevant statutes. It mandates that each public school principal, in collaboration with local law enforcement and emergency officials, prepare an emergency operations plan that addresses various safety concerns, including active assailant scenarios. The bill also specifies that classroom doors must be locked and secured during instructional time, with provisions for staffing unlocked doors.

Additionally, the bill changes the reporting requirements for school safety plans. Instead of local superintendents reporting on the status of each school's plan, schools and districts are now required to complete safety questionnaires and submit them to the state Department of Education and the Louisiana Center for Safe Schools. The bill introduces a classification system for emergency preparedness exercises, distinguishing between discussion-based and operations-based exercises, and emphasizes the importance of involving local emergency officials in training sessions. The bill repeals certain provisions related to crisis management and response, streamlining the focus on emergency operations.

Statutes affected:
HB624 Original: 17:16(A)(1), 17:3996(B)(33), 17:16(G)(4)