Bill Text: IA HSB47 | 2025-2026 | 91st General Assembly | Introduced


Bill Title: A bill for an act relating to school safety by requiring the creation of threat assessment teams and authorizing information sharing between certain governmental agencies.

Spectrum: Committee Bill

Status: (Introduced) 2025-01-22 - Subcommittee Meeting: 01/28/2025 12:00PM RM 304.1. [HSB47 Detail]

Download: Iowa-2025-HSB47-Introduced.html
House Study Bill 47 - Introduced SENATE/HOUSE FILE _____ BY (PROPOSED DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY BILL) A BILL FOR An Act relating to school safety by requiring the creation of 1 threat assessment teams and authorizing information sharing 2 between certain governmental agencies. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 4 TLSB 1444XD (6) 91 jda/jh
S.F. _____ H.F. _____ Section 1. NEW SECTION . 29D.1 Information sharing —— school 1 safety. 2 1. For purposes of this section: 3 a. “Covered entity” includes all of the following: 4 (1) A nonpublic school. 5 (2) A charter school established pursuant to chapter 256E. 6 (3) A charter school or innovation zone school established 7 pursuant to chapter 256F. 8 (4) The judicial branch. 9 (5) A criminal or juvenile justice agency as defined in 10 section 692.1. 11 (6) A political subdivision. 12 (7) A state agency. 13 (8) Any service or support provider that contracts with a 14 person described in subparagraphs (1) through (7). 15 b. “Nonpublic school” means the same as defined in section 16 280.2. 17 c. “Political subdivision” means a city, county, school 18 district, or township. 19 d. “School district” means a school corporation organized 20 under chapter 274. 21 e. “State agency” means a department, board, bureau, 22 commission, or other agency or authority of the state of Iowa. 23 2. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, 24 including section 22.7, any covered entity that provides 25 services to students enrolled in kindergarten through grade 26 twelve who are experiencing or at risk of an emotional 27 disturbance or mental illness, or who pose an articulable and 28 significant threat to the health and safety of any person, may 29 share records or information that are reasonably necessary to 30 ensure access to appropriate services for such students, or to 31 ensure the safety of such students or others, with any other 32 such covered entity. 33 3. A covered entity may communicate, collaborate, and 34 coordinate efforts with other covered entities to best serve 35 -1- LSB 1444XD (6) 91 jda/jh 1/ 5
S.F. _____ H.F. _____ students enrolled in kindergarten through grade twelve who are 1 experiencing or at risk of an emotional disturbance or mental 2 illness, or who pose an articulable and significant threat to 3 the health and safety of any person. 4 Sec. 2. Section 256E.7, subsection 2, Code 2025, is amended 5 by adding the following new paragraphs: 6 NEW PARAGRAPH . 0d. Be subject to and comply with the 7 requirements of section 29D.1 relating to the sharing of 8 records or information, and the communication, collaboration, 9 and coordination of efforts to best serve students, in the same 10 manner as a school district. 11 NEW PARAGRAPH . 0t. Be subject to and comply with the 12 requirements of section 280.36 relating to the establishment of 13 a multidisciplinary threat assessment team in the same manner 14 as a school district. 15 Sec. 3. Section 256F.4, subsection 2, Code 2025, is amended 16 by adding the following new paragraphs: 17 NEW PARAGRAPH . 0d. Be subject to and comply with the 18 requirements of section 29D.1 relating to the sharing of 19 records or information, and the communication, collaboration, 20 and coordination of efforts to best serve students, in the same 21 manner as a school district. 22 NEW PARAGRAPH . r. Be subject to and comply with the 23 requirements of section 280.36 relating to the establishment of 24 a multidisciplinary threat assessment team in the same manner 25 as a school district. 26 Sec. 4. NEW SECTION . 280.36 Multidisciplinary threat 27 assessment teams —— immunity. 28 1. The board of directors of each school district and the 29 authorities in charge of each accredited nonpublic school may 30 establish a multidisciplinary threat assessment team. If 31 established, the multidisciplinary threat assessment team shall 32 coordinate resources and assess and intervene when a student 33 enrolled in the school district or accredited nonpublic school 34 exhibits behavior that may pose a threat to the safety of the 35 -2- LSB 1444XD (6) 91 jda/jh 2/ 5
S.F. _____ H.F. _____ school district or accredited nonpublic school, employees of 1 the school district or accredited nonpublic school, or other 2 student enrolled in the school district or accredited nonpublic 3 school. 4 2. The multidisciplinary threat assessment team may consist 5 of any of the following members: 6 a. A local law enforcement official. 7 b. A representative from juvenile court services. 8 c. A mental health professional. 9 d. A social services representative. 10 e. A school official. 11 3. The board of directors of a school district or the 12 authorities in charge of an accredited nonpublic school 13 may enter into an agreement with another school district, 14 accredited nonpublic school, charter school, or innovation zone 15 school to create a multidisciplinary threat assessment team 16 that shall coordinate resources among the schools and assess 17 and intervene when a student enrolled in either school exhibits 18 behavior that may pose a threat to the safety of either school, 19 employees of either school, or students enrolled in either 20 school. 21 4. A multidisciplinary threat assessment team may share 22 records or information in accordance with section 29D.1. 23 5. In addition to any other immunity available, any person 24 who, in good faith with reasonable cause and without malice, 25 acts to report, investigate, or cause any investigation to 26 be made into the activities of a student or other person as 27 such report or investigation relates to conduct or information 28 indicating that the student or person poses a credible danger 29 of serious bodily injury or death to one or more students, 30 school employees, or others on school property shall be immune 31 from all civil liability that might otherwise be incurred 32 or imposed as the result of the making of such a report, 33 investigation, or disclosure. 34 EXPLANATION 35 -3- LSB 1444XD (6) 91 jda/jh 3/ 5
S.F. _____ H.F. _____ The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 1 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 2 This bill relates to school safety by requiring the creation 3 of threat assessment teams and authorizing information sharing 4 between certain governmental agencies. 5 The bill allows covered entities that provide services to 6 students enrolled in kindergarten through grade 12 who are 7 experiencing or at risk of an emotional disturbance or mental 8 illness, or who pose an articulable and significant threat 9 to the health and safety of any person, to share records or 10 information that are reasonably necessary to ensure access to 11 appropriate services for such students, or to ensure the safety 12 of such students or others, with any other such covered entity. 13 The bill authorizes all such covered entities to communicate, 14 collaborate, and coordinate efforts to best serve students. 15 The bill defines “covered entity” to include nonpublic schools, 16 charter schools, innovation zone schools, the judicial branch, 17 a criminal or juvenile justice agency, political subdivisions, 18 state agencies, and any service or support provider that 19 contracts with such persons. 20 The bill authorizes school districts, accredited nonpublic 21 schools, charter schools, and innovation zone schools to 22 establish a multidisciplinary threat assessment team. The 23 multidisciplinary threat assessment team is required to 24 coordinate resources and assess and intervene when a student 25 enrolled in the school exhibits behavior that may pose a 26 threat to the safety of the school, school employees, or 27 other students enrolled in the school. The bill establishes 28 the membership of the multidisciplinary threat assessment 29 team. The bill authorizes school districts to enter into an 30 agreement with another school to create a multidisciplinary 31 threat assessment team that covers both schools. The bill 32 also authorizes multidisciplinary threat assessment teams to 33 share records or information in accordance with the bill’s 34 provisions. The bill provides immunity from civil liability 35 -4- LSB 1444XD (6) 91 jda/jh 4/ 5
S.F. _____ H.F. _____ to certain specified persons who report information related to 1 school safety. 2 -5- LSB 1444XD (6) 91 jda/jh 5/ 5
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