Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
Act 648 of the Regular Session
1 State of Arkansas
2 93rd General Assembly A Bill
3 Regular Session, 2021 SENATE BILL 394
4
5 By: Senator Irvin
6 By: Representative Cozart
7
8 For An Act To Be Entitled
9 AN ACT TO AMEND VARIOUS PROVISIONS OF THE 2015 SCHOOL
10 SAFETY ACT; TO ESTABLISH THE ARKANSAS CENTER FOR
11 SCHOOL SAFETY OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE INSTITUTE
12 ADVISORY BOARD; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.
13
14
15 Subtitle
16 TO AMEND VARIOUS PROVISIONS OF THE 2015
17 SCHOOL SAFETY ACT; AND TO ESTABLISH THE
18 ARKANSAS CENTER FOR SCHOOL SAFETY OF THE
19 CRIMINAL JUSTICE INSTITUTE ADVISORY
20 BOARD.
21
22
23 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS:
24
25 SECTION 1. Arkansas Code 6-15-1302 is amended to read as follows:
26 6-15-1302. Emergency operation plans and panic button alert system
27 emergency communication with law enforcement requirements.
28 (a) On or before September 1, 2015, October 1, 2021, a public school
29 shall have a panic button alert system if funding is available or other means
30 of emergency communication with law enforcement if funding is available.
31 (b) The panic button alert system shall:
32 (1) Connect the caller with 911 while simultaneously notifying
33 designated on-site personnel;
34 (2)(A) Directly integrate into the existing statewide Smart911
35 system.
36 (B) The Smart911 system shall provide a way for a public
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1 school to geo-fence the school campus and provide and manage floor plans and
2 other documents to assist emergency responders when they automatically
3 display during a 911 call;
4 (3) Be available for use as a smartphone application and have a
5 mechanism for panic notifications to be triggered by non-smartphone wireless
6 callers and landline callers; and
7 (4) Be limited to users designated, approved, and confirmed by
8 school administrators.
9
10 SECTION 2. Arkansas Code 6-15-1303 is amended to read as follows:
11 6-15-1303. Safe Schools Initiative Act.
12 (a)(1) A school district shall develop a school safety plan and
13 provide annual training for all of its employees and students, to the extent
14 practicable, in preventing and responding to acts of violence, terrorism,
15 natural disaster, and other emergencies, including without limitation:
16 (1) Tornado safety drills under 6-10-121;
17 (2) Emergency plans and panic button alert systems under 6-15-
18 1302; and
19 (3)(A) Annual active shooter drills and school safety
20 assessments in collaboration with local law enforcement and emergency
21 management personnel for all schools, including a school lockdown exercise
22 with panic button alert system training.
23 (B) The purpose of the training is to allow participants
24 to:
25 (i) Discuss simulated emergency situations in a low-
26 stress environment;
27 (ii) Clarify the roles and responsibilities of
28 individuals and the logistics of handling an emergency on the school campus;
29 and
30 (iii) Identify areas in which the school safety plan
31 should be modified A public school district or open-enrollment charter school
32 shall conduct a comprehensive school safety audit every three (3) years to
33 assess the safety, security, accessibility, and emergency preparedness of
34 district buildings and grounds in collaboration with local law enforcement,
35 fire, and emergency management officials.
36 (2)(A) A comprehensive school safety audit shall be conducted by
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1 more than one (1) individual, including at least one (1) individual who is
2 not assigned to the facility being audited, if the audit is conducted by
3 district personnel.
4 (B) A comprehensive school safety audit shall include
5 without limitation an audit of the following:
6 (i) Safety and security of the site and exterior of
7 buildings;
8 (ii) Access control;
9 (iii) Safety and security of the interior of
10 buildings;
11 (iv) Monitoring and surveillance, including without
12 limitation type and extent;
13 (v) Communication and information security;
14 (vi) Review of emergency operation plans; and
15 (vii) School climate and culture.
16 (3) The initial comprehensive school safety audit shall be
17 conducted by August 1, 2024.
18 (4) The Division of Elementary and Secondary Education shall
19 promulgate rules specifying how the completion of the audit and confirmation
20 of collaboration with local law enforcement and emergency management
21 officials shall be verified.
22 (b)(1) A public school district or open-enrollment charter school
23 shall conduct an annual lockdown drill for a possible threat on campus at
24 each school in the public school district or open-enrollment charter school.
25 (2) As part of the public school district or open-enrollment
26 charter school's planning for lockdown drills, the public school district or
27 open-enrollment charter school shall:
28 (A) Assess the plan and ability of the public school
29 district or open-enrollment charter school to prevent and respond to a threat
30 on campus;
31 (B) Identify the roles and responsibilities of each
32 individual when an emergency occurs;
33 (C) Discuss the logistics of responding to an emergency on
34 the school campus;
35 (D) Identify areas in which the emergency operation plan
36 of the school may require modification, if necessary; and
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1 (E) Collaborate with local law enforcement and emergency
2 management officials.
3 (3) The Division of Elementary and Secondary Education shall
4 promulgate rules describing how the completion of the drills and confirmation
5 of collaboration with local law enforcement and emergency management
6 officials shall be verified.
7 (b)(1)(c)(1) On or before September 1, 2015, October 1, 2021, a public
8 school shall provide current floor plans and pertinent emergency contact
9 information to be used in connection with the panic button alert system
10 through the statewide Smart911 system appropriate first responders.
11 (2) Public school administration shall update the provide
12 updated information as necessary, including annually and when substantial
13 building modifications or changes are made.
14 (3) Information provided under this subsection is not a public
15 record and is not available for public inspection.
16 (4) The Division of Elementary and Secondary Education shall
17 promulgate rules describing how public school compliance with subdivisions
18 (c)(1) and (2) of this section will be verified.
19 (c)(1)(d)(1) Subject to an appropriation and funding for this purpose,
20 the Criminal Justice Institute shall provide the necessary training and
21 education for: Subject to continued appropriation and funding for this
22 purpose, the Arkansas Center for School Safety of the Criminal Justice
23 Institute shall assist the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education in
24 building the capacity of educators, leaders, and law enforcement
25 professionals to meet the safety needs of children in public schools in this
26 state.
27 (A) Personnel designated by a school district or an
28 education service cooperative concerning the active shooter drills required
29 under this section through its Safe Schools Initiative; and
30 (B) Law enforcement officers, emergency management
31 personnel, and other persons who will conduct the school safety assessments
32 and active shooter drills on a school campus under this section.
33 (2) The Arkansas Center for School Safety of the Criminal
34 Justice Institute shall promote and support school safety statewide and shall
35 provide school safety training, education, and resources for school,
36 district, and law enforcement personnel.
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1 (2)(A)(3)(A) The Safe Schools Initiative training for school
2 personnel shall be hosted by an education service cooperative of which the
3 school district is a constituent The Arkansas Center for School Safety of the
4 Criminal Justice Institute shall be the state school safety clearinghouse and
5 shall collaborate with the following entities to provide a comprehensive,
6 efficient, and effective resource for education and law enforcement personnel
7 to obtain training and technical assistance to meet the school safety needs
8 of students in this state:
9 (i) The Division of Elementary and Secondary
10 Education;
11 (ii) The Safe Schools Committee established under
12 6-15-1301 et seq.;
13 (iii) The Arkansas Association of Educational
14 Administrators;
15 (iv) The Arkansas Schools Boards Association;
16 (v) Education service cooperatives;
17 (vi) The Division of Emergency Management;
18 (vii) The Arkansas Public School Resource Center,
19 Inc.; and
20 (viii) Other key stakeholders.
21 (B) The designated personnel who receive the Safe Schools
22 Initiative training shall train other school employees and students The
23 Division of Elementary and Secondary Education shall collaborate actively
24 with the Arkansas Center for School Safety of the Criminal Justice Institute
25 and shall promote the training and resources provided by the Arkansas Center
26 for School Safety of the Criminal Justice Institute to public school district
27 or open-enrollment charter school staff.
28 (C) The Safe Schools Initiative training also provided by
29 the Arkansas Center for School Safety of the Criminal Justice Institute may
30 include without limitation the training and education needed to assist a
31 public school or private school in:
32 (i) Developing prevention strategies and enhancing
33 existing crisis management emergency response plans for campus security and
34 safety issues;
35 (ii) Delivering education to students and faculty on
36 public Addressing public safety and legal topics such as drugs and alcohol
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1 abuse, sexual assault, dating violence, bullying and cyber-bullying, gangs,
2 preventing the possession of weapons by minors, and responding to the threat
3 of weapons at school;
4 (iii) Preparing Conducting school safety assessments
5 audits; and
6 (iv) Cooperating effectively with law enforcement
7 officers, school resource officers, and other school safety personnel, in the
8 school setting; and
9 (v) Other relevant school safety topics,
10 initiatives, and programs.
11 (3) The following agencies or persons may conduct a school
12 safety assessment and active shooter drill for a school district after
13 receiving training from the Criminal Justice Institute:
14 (A) The Arkansas Law Enforcement Training Academy;
15 (B) The Department of Arkansas State Police;
16 (C) The Arkansas Department of Emergency Management;
17 (D) The Black River Technical College Law Enforcement
18 Training Academy; or
19 (E) Other persons or entities identified on the Criminal
20 Justice Institute's website as having received the training.
21 (4) Annual training and active shooter emergency response drills
22 may be conducted during the instructional day or during non-instructional
23 noninstructional time periods as determined by the school district.
24 (d)(e) Subject to an appropriation and funding for this purpose, each
25 public school, in collaboration with the school district, may install
26 communications equipment that is interoperable with the Arkansas Wireless
27 Information Network system.
28
29 SECTION 3. Arkansas Code Title 6, Chapter 15, Subchapter 13, is
30 amended to add an additional section to read as follows:
31 6-15-1305. Advisory Board of the Arkansas Center for School Safety of
32 the Criminal Justice Institute.
33 (a) There is established the Advisory Board of the Arkansas Center for
34 School Safety of the Criminal Justice Institute.
35 (b)(1) The board shall include the following members:
36 (A) The Director of the Criminal Justice Institute;
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1 (B) The Executive Director of the Arkansas Association of
2 Educational Administrators or his or her designee;
3 (C) The Director of the Arkansas School Boards Association
4 or his or her designee;
5 (D) The Director of the Division of Emergency Management
6 or his or her designee;
7 (E) The Secretary of the Department of Education or his or
8 her designee;
9 (F) The Director of the Division of Public School Academic
10 Facilities and Transportation or his or her designee;
11 (G) The Director of the Arkansas Public School Resource
12 Center or his or her designee;
13 (H) One (1) director of an educational service cooperative
14 in this state;
15 (I) One (1) chief of police;
16 (J) One (1) county sheriff;
17 (K) One (1) school resource officer;
18 (L) One (1) school administrator;
19 (M) One (1) school teacher;
20 (N) One (1) school counselor;
21 (O) One (1) school-focused mental health professional; and
22 (P) One (1) citizen at-large.
23 (2)(A) The Governor shall appoint the members of the board for a
24 three-year term unless otherwise specified.
25 (B) The term of a member of the board who serves by virtue
26 of his or her office shall continue until the member vacates the office.
27 (C) Terms for initial appointments shall be staggered, to
28 the extent possible, so that an equal number of members shall rotate each
29 year.
30
31 SECTION 4. Arkansas Code 6-17-708 is amended to read as follows:
32 6-17-708. Teen Mental health awareness and teen suicide awareness and
33 prevention professional development.
34 (a)(1) The Division of Elementary and Secondary Education shall
35 require two (2) hours of professional development, or professional learning
36 credits as determined by the division, in mental health awareness and teen
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1 suicide awareness and prevention for licensed public school personnel
2 according to the professional development schedule under 6-17-709.
3 (2) The professional development under this section may be
4 accomplished through self-review of suitable mental health awareness and
5 suicide prevention materials approved by the division.
6 (b) The professional development under this section shall count toward
7 the satisfaction of requirements for professional development in the
8 Standards for Accreditation of Arkansas