HB1379_S_Cmte_Amend

SECTION 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Students Safe at School Act."

SECTION 2. (1) There is created the Mississippi School Safety Task Force (hereinafter referred to as the "Task Force") for the purpose of the continual study of ensuring and enhancing safe school environments for students, teachers and staff in Mississippi and to advise and assist the department in the implementation of best practices for prevention of and response to any type of emergency or other situation threatening the safety of students or school personnel or the property of local school districts.

(2) The Task Force shall be composed of the following thirteen (13) members:

(a) The State Superintendent of Public Education, who shall serve as the chairman;

(b) The Commissioner of the Mississippi Department of Public Safety or his or her designee, who shall serve as a vice chairman;

(c) The Executive Director of the Mississippi Department of Mental Health or his or her designee, who shall serve as a vice chairman;

(d) The Executive Director of the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency or his or her designee;

(e) The Director of the Mississippi Office of Homeland Security or his or her designee;

(f) The Director of the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics or his or her designee;

(g) The Director of the Mississippi Highway Patrol or his or her designee;

(h) A representative of the Mississippi Association of School Superintendents;

(i) A representative of the Mississippi School Administrators Association;

(j) A representative of the Mississippi Association of School Resource Officers;

(k) A representative of the Mississippi Sheriffs' Association;

(l) A representative of the Mississippi Association of Chiefs of Police;

(m) An individual who provides security and safety services to a school district.

(3) The Task Force shall hold its first meeting within sixty (60) days of the effective date of this act, on a call of the chairman of the Task Force. A majority of the membership of the Task Force shall constitute a quorum and shall meet at the call of the chairman or one (1) of the vice chairmen if the chairmanship is vacant or if the chairman is unable to serve. All members must be notified in writing of all meetings at least five (5) business days before the date that a meeting of the Task Force is scheduled.

(4) The Task Force shall report its findings and recommendations to the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, the Speaker of the House and the Chairmen of the Education Committees of the Legislature annually not later than December 1 each year.

SECTION 3. Section 37-11-5, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:

37-11-5. (1) It shall be the duty of the principals and teachers in all public school buildings to instruct the pupils in the methods of fire drills and to practice fire drills until all the pupils in the school are familiar with the methods of escape. Such fire drills shall be conducted often enough to keep such pupils well drilled. It shall be the further duty of such principals and teachers to instruct the pupils in all programs of emergency management as may be designated by the State Department of Education.

(2) It shall be the further duty of such principals and teachers to develop and conduct an active shooter drill within the first sixty (60) days of each new school semester for students, teachers and staff.

SECTION 4. (1) In consultation with the School Safety Task Force, the Mississippi Department of Education shall develop policies and/or procedures to implement the "Mississippi Behavioral Threat Assessment Management System" (MBTAMS) to ensure compliance within each local school district in the State of Mississippi.

(2) There is created within the Office of the Attorney General, the School Emergency Response Mapping Data Grant Program, for the purpose of establishing a single, verified source of mapping data for each school in the State of Mississippi that is standardized, accurate and accessible to public safety agencies and which ensures efficient responses to any emergency on a school campus. Each school district, charter school governing board and governing board of each private K-12 school, in consultation with local law enforcement agencies having appropriate jurisdiction in the county or municipality wherein the school district is located, may apply to receive funds from the program to provide school mapping data for each public, charter and private school in that county or municipality. The Attorney General may promulgate rules and regulations necessary to effectuate the provisions of this subsection.

SECTION 5. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2024, and shall stand repealed on June 30, 2024.