Assigned to ED & APPROP FOR COMMITTEE
ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Seventh Legislature, First Regular Session
FACT SHEET FOR H.B. 2074
school safety; proposals; assessments; plans
Purpose
Expands the School Safety Program (Program) to support the costs of placing school safety
officers (SSOs) and by establishing an alternative Program proposal process to support the costs
of purchasing safety equipment and infrastructure improvements as specified. Requires each
school district and charter school to train officers how to interact with children with disabilities
and each school that receives Program monies to develop an emergency response plan as outlined.
Exempts school building blueprints and floor plans from public record requirements.
Background
The Program supports, promotes and enhances safe and effective learning environments
for all students by supporting the costs of placing school resource officers (SROs), juvenile
probation officers (JPOs), school counselors and school social workers on school campuses. A
school district or charter school may apply to participate in the Program for up to three fiscal years
by submitting a Program proposal to the Arizona Department of Education (ADE). A Program
proposal for supporting the costs of placing SROs or JPOs, or both, on a school campus must
include: 1) a detailed description of school safety needs; 2) a plan for implementing a law-related
education program or a plan; 3) a plan to use trained SROs or JPOs, or both, in the school; and
4) information on the success, compliance and implementation of the most recent grant if the
school district or charter school has already participated in the Program.
ADE must review and administer the Program proposals and, subject to review and
approval by the State Board of Education (SBE), distribute monies to the school districts and
charter schools that are in compliance with Program requirements. ADE uses relevant crime
statistics to assess the needs of each Program proposal and must visit school districts and charter
schools that submit Program proposals to verify the information contained in the proposal. ADE
may prioritize Program proposals for SRO and JPO grants to schools that have agreements to share
the cost of the SRO or JPO with a law enforcement agency or the courts.
A school district governing board must develop an emergency response plan for each
school in the district in conjunction with local law enforcement and emergency response agencies.
An emergency response plan must be in accordance with minimum standards developed by ADE
and the Division of Emergency Management within the Department of Military Affairs and
address how the school and emergency responders will communicate with and assist children with
disabilities (A.R.S. § 15-341).
SRO means a peace officer or a full-authority reserve peace officer who is certified by the
Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board (A.R.S. § 15-154). FACT SHEET
H.B. 2074
Page 2
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this
legislation.
Provisions
Program Proposals and School Safety Officers
1. Expands the Program to support the costs of:
a) placing SSOs on school campuses; and
b) purchasing safety technology, safety training and infrastructure improvements for school
campuses as specified.
2. Applies, to SSOs, the Program proposal requirements for supporting the costs of SROs, JPOs
or any combination of these officers.
3. Expands the Program proposal requirements for supporting the costs of SROs, JPOs and SSOs
or school counselors and social workers by including a plan to provide the current school
building blueprints, floor plans and school safety assessments for each school site to the local
law enforcement agency, emergency medical services provider and fire department that
provides services to the school site.
4. Expands the Program proposal requirements for supporting the costs of SROs, JPOs and SSOs
by including a plan to train the SROs, JPOs and SROs on the federal Family Educational Rights
and Privacy Act, civil rights and adolescent mental health issues.
5. Specifies that ADE must distribute Program monies to school districts and charter schools that
are in compliance with Program proposal and emergency response planning requirements.
6. Applies the authorization for ADE to prioritize Program proposals for SRO and JPO grants to
Program proposals for SSO grants.
7. Applies the dispute resolution process requirements for a school district or charter school that
received an SRO grant to a school district or charter school that received an SSO grant.
8. Expands the definition of SRO to include an individual who was previously employed as a
peace officer, retired in good standing and is assigned to participate in the Program by a law
enforcement agency.
9. Defines SSO as an SRO who is working in an off-duty capacity.
Emergency Response Plan Requirements
10. Requires each school district and charter school that receives Program approval and monies
to:
a) develop an emergency response plan as prescribed; and
b) contract with a school safety assessment provider every five years to conduct a school
safety assessment, including an assessment of each school site's physical security and a
review of each school site's emergency response plan. FACT SHEET
H.B. 2074
Page 3
11. Requires ADE to develop a list of approved school safety assessment providers and make the
list available to schools that participate in the Program.
12. Requires ADE, every three years, to select a random sample of school districts and charter
schools that participate in the Program and conduct a safety assessment of the selected school
districts or charter schools.
13. Directs ADE to provide a copy of the safety assessment results to the respective school district
governing board or charter school governing body and the administrators of each assessed
school site.
14. Requires a charter school's charter to ensure that the charter school, in conjunction with local
law enforcement and emergency response agencies, develops an emergency response plan in
accordance with minimum standards developed jointly by ADE and the Division of Emergency
Management within the Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs.
15. Specifies that a charter school's emergency response plan must address how the charter school
and emergency responders will communicate with and provide assistance to children with
disabilities.
Alternative Program Proposals
16. Authorizes a school district or charter school to submit an alternative Program proposal for
supporting the costs of purchasing safety technology, safety training and infrastructure
improvements for school campuses, if the school district or charter school:
a) receives the SBE's approval for a Program proposal for SROs, JPOs, SSOs, school
counselors or school social workers; and
b) cannot place one or more of the individuals included in the school's Program proposal.
17. Requires an alternative Program proposal submitted by a school district or charter school to
include a detailed description of:
a) the school's safety needs;
b) the proposed expenditures and capital improvements; and
c) any other information requested by ADE.
18. Specifies that the detailed description of the proposed expenditures and capital improvements
must include:
a) the safety needs that each proposed expenditure will address;
b) the specific technology or training program that the school district or charter school seeks
to acquire; and
c) for infrastructure improvements, all costs associated with the improvements, including
architectural and engineering fees, safety evaluations and equipment for securing entrances
and exits.
19. Directs ADE to review and administer alternative Program proposals.
20. Specifies that ADE must use relevant crime statistics to assess the needs of each alternative
Program proposal and may visit the school districts and charter schools that submit alternative
program proposals to verify the information contained in the Program proposals. FACT SHEET
H.B. 2074
Page 4
21. Authorizes ADE to approve all or part of an alternative Program proposal.
Officer Training for Children with Disabilities
22. Requires each school district and charter school that employs one or more officers on school
campuses, including indirect employment through the Program, to train each officer how to
recognize and effectively interact with children with disabilities.
23. Specifies that officer includes:
a) a peace officer;
b) a full-authority reserve peace officer who is certified by the Arizona Peace Officer
Standards and Training Board;
c) a peace officer or full-authority reserve officer who is employed by a school district or
charter school in an off-duty capacity;
d) an individual who was previously employed as an Arizona peace officer and retired in good
standing; or
e) a JPO.
Miscellaneous
24. Determines that school building blueprints and floor plans are not public records and exempt
from public record requirements.
25. Makes technical and conforming changes.
26. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
House Action
ED 1/14/25 DPA 8-4-0-0
3
rd
Read 2/4/25 35-24-1
Prepared by Senate Research
March 3, 2025
MH/ci