House Bill 757

AN ACT TO PROVIDE THAT THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION SHALL DEVELOP A STATEWIDE SCHOOL MOBILE PANIC BUTTON PROGRAM FOR ALL K-12 PUBLIC SCHOOLS, AND SHALL IMPLEMENT THE PROGRAM IN ALL K-12 PUBLIC SCHOOLS NOT LATER THAN ONE HUNDRED TWENTY DAYS AFTER THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS ACT; TO PROVIDE THAT THE DEPARTMENT MUST SECURE A STATEWIDE CONTRACT WITH A TECHNOLOGY PROVIDER OR USE AN EXISTING STATE CONTRACT TO PROCURE THE STATEWIDE SCHOOL PANIC BUTTON SYSTEM; TO PROVIDE THAT THE DEPARTMENT WILL ASSUME THE COSTS OF HAVING THE SYSTEM TECHNOLOGY IMPLEMENTED IN ALL K-12 PUBLIC SCHOOLS, USING FUNDS APPROPRIATED BY THE LEGISLATURE FOR THAT PURPOSE; TO SPECIFY THE MINIMUM STANDARDS FOR THE TECHNOLOGY PURCHASED BY THE DEPARTMENT FOR THE PROGRAM; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. (1) The State Department of Education shall develop a statewide school mobile panic button program meeting the requirements of this section that will be available for all K-12 public schools. The department shall implement the statewide school panic button program in all K-12 public schools not later than one hundred twenty (120) days after the effective date of this act.

(2) At a minimum, the department must complete the following activities when developing the statewide school panic button program:

(a) Secure a statewide contract with a technology provider or providers as necessary to operate the statewide school panic button program;

(b) If available through the Department of Information Technology, use an existing state contract to expedite and procure the statewide school panic button system; and

(c) Assume the costs of having the statewide school panic button system technology implemented in all K-12 public schools, using funds appropriated by the Legislature for that purpose.

(3) The technology purchased by the department for the statewide school panic button program must meet all of the following standards:

(a) The system must be a mobile phone application-based (app) system;

(b) The system must have the ability to be optionally integrated with the local 911 public safety answering point (PSAP) and be able to do all of the following:

(i) Place a standard voice call to 911;

(ii) Communicate with and allow 911 to send follow-up messages;

(iii) Send SMS text messages, email and push notifications to authorized on-site users, including teachers and staff, while including key public safety personnel;

(iv) Actively monitor all 911 calls processed by the local PSAP, including standard landline calls, mobile phone calls and panic button app calls;

(v) Allow 911 or public safety officials to convert a standard 911 call, landline call or mobile phone call processed by the 911 system to a panic button event from within the 911 call taking, dispatch and supervisory workflows;

(vi) Allow for 911 and public safety officials to initiate panic button events and communications, allowing 911 to declare a panic button event outside of a 911 call to facilitate communications and coordination before, during and after an event; and

(vii) Automatically present information from a school to the 911 call taker, including floor plans and building information, without further action by the 911 call taker when a 911 call from a landline, mobile phone or app activation occurs.

(i) Active assailant/shooter;

(ii) Medical emergency;

(iii) Police;

(iv) Fire; and

(v) Other 911.

(d) The system must allow for the geo-fencing of a school campus that generates a panic button notification inside the school property and a regular 911 call outside the school property;

(e) The system must be United States Department of Homeland Security Safety Act certified;

(f) The technology vendor must have a demonstrated track record of deploying this technology on a statewide basis with at least one (1) successful statewide implementation covering a minimum of one thousand (1,000) public schools; and

(g) The vendor must have demonstrated success in the state of Mississippi by identifying school districts that are currently participating in or have previously participated in a panic button program.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2020.