This bill mandates that school districts enhance their protocols for responding to threats against the school community. It requires school employees to immediately inform the principal or their designee if they have knowledge of any threats of serious harm. Upon receiving such information, the principal or designee must promptly report the incident to law enforcement. If law enforcement determines that the threat is credible, the principal must notify students, parents, and staff, prohibit the individual from accessing school property, and distribute a list of such individuals to relevant school personnel. The bill also allows non-employees to report threats and provides legal protection for school staff acting in good faith under these provisions.

Additionally, the bill amends existing law to ensure that training for school employees on safety and security includes emergency response protocols, specifically regarding the notification of threats and the enforcement of access restrictions for certain individuals. This training is to be modeled after guidelines from the New Jersey School Safety Specialist Academy and must involve collaboration with emergency responders to improve overall safety measures. The bill emphasizes the importance of addressing the unique needs of students with disabilities during emergency situations, ensuring that all staff are adequately prepared to respond effectively.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 18A:41-7