Bill Text: TX HB3 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Introduced

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Relating to measures for ensuring public school safety, including the development and implementation of purchases relating to and funding for public school safety and security requirements and the provision of safety-related resources.

Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Republican 62-8)

Status: (Passed) 2023-06-14 - Effective on 9/1/23 [HB3 Detail]

Download: Texas-2023-HB3-Introduced.html
 
 
  By: Burrows H.B. No. 3
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the development and implementation of, and funding for
  public school safety and security requirements.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 7.028(a), Education Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         (a)  Except as provided by Section 21.006(k), 22.093(l),
  22.096, 28.006, 29.001(5), 29.010(a), 33.006(h), 37.1084, 38.003,
  or 39.003, the agency may monitor compliance with requirements
  applicable to a process or program provided by a school district,
  campus, program, or school granted charters under Chapter 12,
  including the process described by Subchapter F, Chapter 11, or a
  program described by Subchapter B, C, D, E, F, H, or I, Chapter 29,
  or Subchapter A, Chapter 37, only as necessary to ensure:
               (1)  compliance with federal law and regulations;
               (2)  financial accountability, including compliance
  with grant requirements;
               (3)  data integrity for purposes of:
                     (A)  the Public Education Information Management
  System (PEIMS); and
                     (B)  accountability under Chapters 39 and 39A; and
               (4)  qualification for funding under Chapter 48.
         SECTION 2.  Section 7.061(c), Education Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         (c)  Not later than September 1 of each even-numbered year,
  the commissioner shall review all rules adopted or amended under
  this section and amend the rules as necessary to ensure that
  building standards for school district and open-enrollment charter
  school facilities continue to provide a secure and safe
  environment. In reviewing and amending the rules, the commissioner
  shall:
               (1)  in consultation with Texas School Safety Center,
  identify and adopt any changes under Section 37.221; and
               (2)  require that new and, to the extent feasible,
  existing school facilities meet or exceed the amended building
  standards.
         SECTION 3.  Section 12.104(b), Education Code, as amended by
  Chapters 542 (S.B. 168), 887 (S.B. 1697), 915 (H.B. 3607), 974 (S.B.
  2081), and 1046 (S.B. 1365), Acts of the 87th Legislature, Regular
  Session, 2021, is reenacted and amended to read as follows:
         (b)  An open-enrollment charter school is subject to:
               (1)  a provision of this title establishing a criminal
  offense;
               (2)  the provisions in Chapter 554, Government Code;
  and
               (3)  a prohibition, restriction, or requirement, as
  applicable, imposed by this title or a rule adopted under this
  title, relating to:
                     (A)  the Public Education Information Management
  System (PEIMS) to the extent necessary to monitor compliance with
  this subchapter as determined by the commissioner;
                     (B)  criminal history records under Subchapter C,
  Chapter 22;
                     (C)  reading instruments and accelerated reading
  instruction programs under Section 28.006;
                     (D)  accelerated instruction under Section
  28.0211;
                     (E)  high school graduation requirements under
  Section 28.025;
                     (F)  special education programs under Subchapter
  A, Chapter 29;
                     (G)  bilingual education under Subchapter B,
  Chapter 29;
                     (H)  prekindergarten programs under Subchapter E
  or E-1, Chapter 29, except class size limits for prekindergarten
  classes imposed under Section 25.112, which do not apply;
                     (I)  extracurricular activities under Section
  33.081;
                     (J)  discipline management practices or behavior
  management techniques under Section 37.0021;
                     (K)  health and safety under Chapter 38;
                     (L)  the provisions of Subchapter A, Chapter 39;
                     (M)  public school accountability and special
  investigations under Subchapters A, B, C, D, F, G, and J, Chapter
  39, and Chapter 39A;
                     (N)  the requirement under Section 21.006 to
  report an educator's misconduct;
                     (O)  intensive programs of instruction under
  Section 28.0213;
                     (P)  the right of a school employee to report a
  crime, as provided by Section 37.148;
                     (Q)  bullying prevention policies and procedures
  under Section 37.0832;
                     (R)  the right of a school under Section 37.0052
  to place a student who has engaged in certain bullying behavior in a
  disciplinary alternative education program or to expel the student;
                     (S)  the right under Section 37.0151 to report to
  local law enforcement certain conduct constituting assault or
  harassment;
                     (T)  a parent's right to information regarding the
  provision of assistance for learning difficulties to the parent's
  child as provided by Sections 26.004(b)(11) and 26.0081(c) and (d);
                     (U)  establishment of residency under Section
  25.001;
                     (V)  school safety requirements under Sections
  37.0814, 37.108, 37.1081, 37.1082, 37.1084, 37.109, 37.113,
  37.114, 37.1141, 37.115, 37.207, and 37.2071;
                     (W)  the early childhood literacy and mathematics
  proficiency plans under Section 11.185;
                     (X)  the college, career, and military readiness
  plans under Section 11.186; and
                     (Y) [(X)]  parental options to retain a student
  under Section 28.02124.
         SECTION 4.  Subchapter C, Chapter 37, Education Code, is
  amended by adding Section 37.0814 to read as follows:
         Sec. 37.0814.  ARMED SECURITY OFFICER REQUIRED.  (a)  The
  board of trustees of each school district shall determine the
  appropriate number of armed security officers for each campus;
  however, they shall ensure that at least one armed security officer
  is present during regular school hours at each district campus.
         (b)  A security officer described by Subsection (a) must be:
               (1)  a school district peace officer;
               (2)  a school resource officer;
               (3)  a commissioned peace officer employed as security
  personnel under Section 37.081;
               (4)  a school marshal; or
               (5)  a school district employee who:
                     (A)  has completed school safety training
  provided by a qualified handgun instructor certified in school
  safety under Section 411.1901, Government Code; and
                     (B)  carries a handgun on their person on school
  premises in accordance with written regulations or written
  authorization of the district under Section 46.03(a)(1)(A), Penal
  Code.
         SECTION 5.  Section 37.108, Education Code, is amended by
  amending Subsections (a), (b), and (c) and adding Subsections (a-1)
  and (h) to read as follows:
         (a)  Each school district or public junior college district
  shall adopt and implement a multihazard emergency operations plan
  for use in the district's facilities.  The plan must address
  prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery in
  accordance with the definitions established for those terms under
  Subsection (a-1) [as defined by the Texas School Safety Center in
  conjunction with the governor's office of homeland security and the
  commissioner of education or commissioner of higher education, as
  applicable].  The plan must provide for:
               (1)  training in responding to an emergency for
  district employees, including substitute teachers;
               (2)  measures to ensure district employees, including
  substitute teachers, have classroom access to a telephone,
  including a cellular telephone, or another electronic
  communication device allowing for immediate contact with district
  emergency services or emergency services agencies, law enforcement
  agencies, health departments, and fire departments;
               (3)  measures to ensure district communications
  technology and infrastructure are adequate to allow for
  communication during an emergency;
               (4)  if the plan applies to a school district:
                     (A) [,] mandatory school drills and exercises,
  including drills required under Section 37.114, to prepare district
  students and employees for responding to an emergency; and
                     (B)  measures that incorporate and address the
  results of a safety and security audit conducted under Subsection
  (b) and an intruder detection audit conducted under Section
  37.1084;
               (5)  measures to ensure coordination with the
  Department of State Health Services and local emergency management
  agencies, law enforcement, health departments, and fire
  departments in the event of an emergency; and
               (6)  the implementation of a safety and security audit
  as required by Subsection (b).
         (a-1)  The Texas School Safety Center shall establish
  definitions of prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response, and
  recovery for purposes of a multihazard emergency operations plan
  under Subsection (a):
               (1)  for a plan applicable to a public junior college
  district, in conjunction with the governor's office of homeland
  security and the commissioner of higher education; or
               (2)  for a plan applicable to a school district, in
  conjunction with the governor's office of homeland security and
  with the approval of the commissioner of education.
         (b)  At least once every three years, each school district or
  public junior college district shall conduct a safety and security
  audit of the district's facilities in the following manner:
               (1)  a school [.  To the extent possible, a] district
  shall:
                     (A)  follow safety and security audit procedures
  adopted by the commissioner as developed by the Texas School Safety
  Center; and
                     (B)  unless a district employee conducts the
  audit, engage [or] a person approved by the commissioner and
  included in the registry established by the Texas School Safety
  Center under Section 37.2091 to conduct the audit; and
               (2)  a public junior college district shall, to the
  extent possible, follow safety and security audit procedures
  developed by the Texas School Safety Center or a person included in
  the registry established by the Texas School Safety Center under
  Section 37.2091.
         (h)  The commissioner shall adopt rules from proposals of the
  Texas School Safety Center regarding requirements for school
  district:
               (1)  multihazard emergency operations plans; and
               (2)  safety and security audits.
         SECTION 6.  Subchapter D, Chapter 37, Education Code, is
  amended by adding Section 37.1084 to read as follows:
         Sec. 37.1084.  AGENCY MONITORING OF SCHOOL DISTRICT SAFETY
  AND SECURITY REQUIREMENTS.  (a)  The agency shall monitor the
  implementation and operation of school district multihazard
  emergency operations plans and safety and security audits and other
  school district safety and security requirements. The monitoring
  must include at least one intruder detection audit of each school
  district to determine whether an intruder could gain unsecured,
  unauthorized access to a district campus. Each school district
  shall have at least one Intruder Detection Audit per year, with at
  least 25% of the campuses being physically audited.
         (b)  The agency may establish an office of school safety and
  security within the agency to coordinate the agency's monitoring of
  school district safety and security requirements under this
  section.  The head of an office of school safety and security
  established under this subsection must report directly to the
  commissioner.
         (c)  The agency shall provide technical assistance to
  support implementation of school district multihazard emergency
  operations plans and safety and security audits and other school
  district safety and security requirements.
         (d)  The agency may use or require the use of third parties to
  conduct the monitoring required under this section.
         (e)  The commissioner may take appropriate action under
  Chapter 39A, including the assignment of a conservator or the
  appointment of a board of managers, if a school district fails to:
               (1)  submit to the required monitoring under this
  section;
               (2)  comply with applicable safety and security
  requirements; or
               (3)  address in a reasonable time period, as determined
  by commissioner rule, issues raised by the monitoring of the
  district under this section.
         (f)  The agency, or if approved by the agency, the Texas
  School Safety Center, may identify, develop, and make available to
  school districts information to assist districts in the
  implementation and operation of safety and security requirements,
  including relevant:
               (1)  guidelines;
               (2)  techniques;
               (3)  blueprints;
               (4)  best practices; and
               (5)  procedures.
         (g)  The agency, the Texas School Safety Center, and school
  districts may share information described by Subsection (f) with
  one another.
         (h)  The agency may require a school district to submit
  information necessary for the agency to monitor the implementation
  and operation of school district safety and security requirements
  under this section, including:
               (1)  notice of an event requiring a district's
  emergency response; and
               (2)  information regarding the district's response and
  use of emergency operations procedures during an event described by
  Subdivision (1).
         (i)  The agency may review school district records as
  necessary to ensure compliance with this subchapter and Subchapter
  G.
         (j)  Any document or information collected, identified,
  developed, or produced relating to the monitoring of school
  district safety and security requirements under this section is
  confidential under Sections 418.177 and 418.181, Government Code,
  and not subject to disclosure under Chapter 552, Government Code.
         (k)  The commissioner may adopt rules as necessary to
  administer this section.
         (i)  Any proceeds from bonds must be used by school districts
  to come into compliance with the school safety standards set forth
  herein before any other money from bonds can be spent otherwise.
         SECTION 7.  Chapter 37, Education Code, is amended by adding
  37.116 to read as follows:
  37.116. SCHOOL SAFETY COORDINATION AND REPORTING PROGRAM.
         (a)  In each county under 350,000 population, the sheriff
  shall twice annually coordinate a meeting of school officials and
  all law enforcement in the county that could respond to a school
  violence incident.
         (b)  The following entities are required to participate in
  the biannual meetings:
               (1)  the elected sheriff or designee;
               (2)  the police chief or designee for any police
  department in the county;
               (3)  each elected constable or designee in the county;
               (4)  each school police department chief or security
  coordinator:
               (5)  DPS personnel assigned to the county;
               (6)  other state agency law enforcement officers
  assigned to the county;
               (7)  federal law enforcement officials assigned to the
  county;
               (8)  County and Municipal EMS and Fire command staff;
               (9)  the superintendent or designee for each district
  in the county; and
               (10)  other entities deemed appropriate by the sheriff.
         (c)  Attendees at the biannual meetings will discuss agency
  capabilities, resources, emergency radio interoperability, chain
  of command planning, and other topics submitted by the attendees.
         (d)  The sheriff shall submit to the center a report
  identifying the attendee list and the agenda items discussed. The
  center shall maintain the reports and make them available on its
  public website.
         SECTION 8.  Section 37.2071, Education Code, is amended by
  amending Subsections (a), (c), and (e) and adding Subsections (b-1)
  and (e-1) to read as follows:
         (a)  The center shall establish a random or need-based cycle
  for the center's review and verification of school district and
  public junior college district multihazard emergency operations
  plans adopted under Section 37.108.  The cycle must:
               (1)  provide for each district's plan to be reviewed at
  regular intervals as determined by the center; and
               (2)  if applicable to a school district's plan, be
  approved by the agency.
         (b-1)  The center shall share with the agency a copy of each
  school district multihazard emergency operations plan submitted
  under Subsection (b) and any other information requested by the
  agency regarding the review of a school district's multihazard
  emergency operations plan.
         (c)  The center, or, for a school district, the center and
  the agency, shall review each district's multihazard emergency
  operations plan submitted under Subsection (b) and:
               (1)  verify the plan meets the requirements of Section
  37.108; or
               (2)  provide the district with written notice:
                     (A)  describing the plan's deficiencies;
                     (B)  including specific recommendations to
  correct the deficiencies; and
                     (C) [(B)]  stating that the district must correct
  the deficiencies in its plan and resubmit the revised plan to the
  center.
         (e)  The center, or for a school district, the center and the
  agency may approve a district multihazard emergency operations plan
  that has deficiencies if the district submits a revised plan that
  the center or the center and the agency, if applicable, determines
  will correct the deficiencies.
         (e-1)  A school district multihazard emergency operations
  plan may not be verified or approved under this section without the
  agency's approval.
         SECTION 9.  Section 37.2091, Education Code, is amended by
  adding Subsection (b-1) to read as follows:
         (b-1)  The center must receive approval from the agency
  before adding to the registry a person providing school safety or
  security consulting services to school districts.
         SECTION 10.  Subchapter G, Chapter 37, Education Code, is
  amended by adding Section 37.221 to read as follows:
         Sec. 37.221.  FACILITIES STANDARDS REVIEW.  At least once
  every five years, the center shall review the building standards
  for instructional facilities adopted under Section 7.061 and make
  recommendations to the commissioner regarding any changes
  necessary to ensure that the building standards reflect best
  practices for student safety.  The commissioner shall work with
  local jurisdictions to make the adopted building standards part of
  local building codes to ensure compliance.
         SECTION 11.  Section 48.115, Education Code, is amended by
  amending Subsections (a) and (b) and adding Subsection (b-1) to
  read as follows:
         (a)  A [From funds appropriated for that purpose, the
  commissioner shall provide to a] school district is entitled to an
  annual allotment equal to the sum of the following amounts or a
  greater [in the] amount provided by appropriation:
               (1)  $10 for each student in average daily attendance,
  plus $1 for each student in average daily attendance per every $50
  by which the district's maximum basic allotment under Section
  48.051 exceeds $6,160, prorated as necessary; and
               (2)  $15,000 per campus.
         (b)  Funds allocated under this section must be used to
  improve school safety and security, including costs associated
  with:
               (1)  securing school facilities, including:
                     (A)  improvements to school infrastructure;
                     (B)  the use or installation of physical barriers;
  and
                     (C)  the purchase and maintenance of:
                           (i)  security cameras or other security
  equipment; and
                           (ii)  technology, including communications
  systems or devices, that facilitates communication and information
  sharing between students, school personnel, and first responders in
  an emergency;
               (2)  providing security for the district, including:
                     (A)  employing school district peace officers,
  private security officers, school marshals, and other persons
  authorized by a school board under other law to carry a weapon;
                     (B)  employing a school safety director and other
  personnel to manage and monitor school safety initiatives and
  implementation; and
                     (C) [(B)]  collaborating with local law
  enforcement agencies, such as entering into a memorandum of
  understanding for the assignment of school resource officers to
  schools in the district;
               (3)  school safety and security measures [training and
  planning], including:
                     (A)  active shooter and emergency response
  training;
                     (B)  prevention and treatment programs relating
  to addressing adverse childhood experiences; and
                     (C)  the prevention, identification, and
  management of emergencies and threats, using evidence-based,
  effective prevention practices and including:
                           (i)  providing licensed counselors, social
  workers, and individuals trained in restorative discipline and
  restorative justice practices;
                           (ii)  providing mental health personnel and
  support;
                           (iii)  providing behavioral health
  services;
                           (iv)  establishing threat reporting
  systems; and
                           (v)  developing and implementing programs
  focused on restorative justice practices, culturally relevant
  instruction, and providing mental health support; and
               (4)  providing programs related to suicide prevention,
  intervention, and postvention.
         (b-1)  The agency and Texas School Safety Center shall
  designate certain technologies that a school district can purchase,
  using funds allocated under this section, from a vendor approved by
  the agency and Texas School Safety Center. The funds allocated
  herein may not be used by a school district to purchase technologies
  from a vendor not on the aforementioned approved list.
 
         SECTION 12.  To the extent of any conflict, this Act prevails
  over another Act of the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023,
  relating to nonsubstantive additions to and corrections in enacted
  codes.
         SECTION 13.  Section 7.028, Education Code, as amended by
  this Act, and Chapter 37, Education Code, as amended by this Act,
  apply beginning with the 2023-2024 school year.
         SECTION 14.  (a)  Except as provided by Subsection (b) of
  this section, this Act takes effect immediately if it receives a
  vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
  provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
  Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
  Act takes effect September 1, 2023.
         (b)  Section 48.115, Education Code, as amended by this Act,
  and Section 48.116, Education Code, as added by this Act, take
  effect September 1, 2023.
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