House Bill 565

AN ACT TO REQUIRE EACH LOCAL SCHOOL BOARD TO DEVELOP AND INCLUDE A PREPARED INTERVENTION POLICY IN ITS DISTRICT PERSONNEL POLICIES BEFORE THE START OF THE 2014-2015 ACADEMIC SCHOOL TERM; TO PROVIDE THAT THE POLICY SHALL SPECIFY A PLAN OF IMPLEMENTATION IN INSTANCES OF SCHOOL CRISIS AND EMERGENCY; TO AUTHORIZE SCHOOL PERSONNEL TO USE AND CARRY WEAPONS CAPABLE OF NONDEADLY FORCE IN SUCH TIMES; TO AUTHORIZE CERTAIN PERSONNEL TO USE AND CARRY WEAPONS CAPABLE OF INFLICTING LETHAL INJURY; TO PERMIT SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO ADOPT A WEAPONS-FREE POLICY; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. (1) Before the start of the 2014-2015 academic school term, each local school board shall develop and include in its district personnel policies, a prepared intervention policy to be implemented in instances of school crisis and emergency, specifying the proper protocol and use of nonlethal defensive and counteractive measures to protect students and other school personnel from any impending threat, serious bodily harm or fatality. The policies adopted must stipulate that only school personnel may be authorized to carry a weapon, provided that the weapon is capable of nondeadly force, only inflicting nonlife-threatening injury to render the culprit incapacitated from additional threat, serious bodily harm or fatality. For the purposes of this section weapon capable of nondeadly force includes tasers, stun guns, firearms that only use rubber repellents as ammunition and repellent sprays such as pepper spray; however, the local school board shall determine in its policy what objects or devices may be considered as a weapon capable of nondeadly force.

(2) The policy shall authorize those persons employed by the school district under the authority of Section 37-7-321, as security personnel or student resource officers within each school facility, to carry a firearm capable of inflicting lethal injury on school property; however, those persons who are employed in the capacity as security personnel or student resource officers who are not sworn law enforcement officers, shall be required to possess a license to carry a concealed firearm under Section 45-9-101 and complete a weapons training course approved by the Board of Law Enforcement Standards and Training.

(3) In adopting its prepared intervention policy for the protection of students and school personnel as required under subsection (1) of the section, a local school board may elect to adopt a weapons-free policy, under the terms of which only those individuals who are sworn law enforcement officers employed by the school district as student resource officers shall be authorized to carry a concealed firearm capable of inflicting lethal injury on school property.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2013.