General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 5564
February Session, 2014 *_____HB05564FIN___042214____*
General Assembly
Substitute Bill No. 5564
February Session, 2014
*_____HB05564FIN___042214____*
AN ACT CONCERNING SCHOOL SAFETY.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. (Effective from passage) (a) For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2015, the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection shall establish a safe travel to school grant program to provide grants to towns for expenses incurred as part of improving student safety along routes of travel to schools and in the immediate areas around schools during the hours before and after regular school hours.
(b) On or before July 15, 2014, a town may submit an application, at such time and in such manner as the department prescribes, to the department for a grant pursuant to this section. Each application shall include a plan for the improvement of student safety along routes of travel to school and in the immediate areas around schools during the hours before and after regular school hours. Such plan shall (1) be developed by the town in consultation with the local law enforcement agency and local or regional board of education for such town, (2) include the travel routes to schools and areas around such schools that will be covered by such plan, (3) establish the hours before and after school during which supervision may be provided along such travel routes and areas around such schools, and (4) require that any person assisting in the implementation of such plan submit to state and national criminal history records checks prior to implementation of such plan.
(c) Not later than August 1, 2014, the department shall select up to ten towns to receive grants under this section and shall give priority to towns in which priority school districts are located or towns in which a priority school is located.
Sec. 2. (Effective from passage) The Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection shall study the feasibility of establishing a student safety hotline. Such study shall include, but not be limited to, an analysis of (1) the feasibility of establishing a student safety hotline that receives anonymous phone calls and text messages relating school safety concerns of students in grades kindergarten to twelve, inclusive, and provides assistance to and referrals for such students, (2) the relevant referral areas and appropriate entities and agencies to receive such referrals, (3) training for operators of such student safety hotline, (4) existing student safety hotlines in other states, (5) legal issues that might be associated with the administration of such student safety hotline, and (6) any other relevant topics or issues associated with such student safety hotline. Not later than January 1, 2015, the department shall submit such study to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to education, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes.
Sec. 3. Subsection (c) of section 10-222d of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage):
(c) Not later than [January 1, 2012] July 1, 2014, each local and regional board of education shall [approve] submit the safe school climate plan developed pursuant to this section [and submit such plan] to the Department of Education for approval in accordance with section 4 of this act. Not later than thirty calendar days after approval of [such] the safe school climate plan by the [local or regional board of education] department, the board shall make such plan available on the board's and each individual school in the school district's Internet web site and ensure that such plan is included in the school district's publication of the rules, procedures and standards of conduct for schools and in all student handbooks.
Sec. 4. (NEW) (Effective from passage) (a) The Department of Education shall receive and review each safe school climate plan submitted pursuant to subsection (c) of section 10-222d of the general statutes, as amended by this act. The department may approve or reject a safe school climate plan if such plan does not adequately ensure a safe school climate at the schools under the jurisdiction of the board of education submitting such plan. If the department rejects a safe school climate plan submitted by a local or regional board of education, such board of education shall redevelop and resubmit the safe school climate plan to the department for approval not later than thirty calendar days after such rejection. If the department rejects such resubmitted plan, such board of education shall adopt the model safe school climate plan, developed by the department pursuant to subdivision (3) of subsection (a) of section 10-222h of the general statutes, as amended by this act.
(b) The Department of Education shall make available on the department's Internet web site (1) each safe school climate plan that has been approved by the department, (2) a list of the school districts that have an approved safe school climate plan, and (3) a list of the school districts whose safe school climate plan has been rejected and is in the process of resubmitting its safe school climate plan for approval by the department.
Sec. 5. Section 10-222h of the 2014 supplement to the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage):
(a) The Department of Education shall, within available appropriations, (1) document school districts' articulated needs for technical assistance and training related to safe learning and bullying, (2) collect information on the prevention and intervention strategies used by schools to reduce the incidence of bullying, improve school climate and improve reporting outcomes, (3) develop or recommend a model safe school climate plan for grades kindergarten to twelve, inclusive, and (4) in collaboration with the Connecticut Association of Schools, disseminate to all public schools grade-level appropriate school climate assessment instruments approved by the department, including uniform surveys that collect information about students' perspectives and opinions about the school climate at the school and allow students to complete and submit such surveys anonymously, to be used by local and regional boards of education for the purposes of collecting information described in subdivision (2) of this subsection so that the department can monitor bullying prevention efforts over time and compare each district's progress to state trends.
(b) On or before February 1, 2014, and annually thereafter, the department shall, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a, submit a report on the status of its efforts pursuant to this section including, but not limited to, the number of verified acts of bullying in the state, an analysis of the responsive action taken by school districts, an analysis of student perspectives and opinions about school climate at schools and any recommendations it may have regarding additional activities or funding to prevent bullying in schools and improve school climate to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to education and children and to the speaker of the House of Representatives, the president pro tempore of the Senate and the majority and minority leaders of the House of Representatives and the Senate.
(c) The department may accept private donations for the purposes of this section.
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1 from passage New section
Sec. 2 from passage New section
Sec. 3 from passage 10-222d(c)
Sec. 4 from passage New section
Sec. 5 from passage 10-222h
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1
from passage
New section
Sec. 2
from passage
New section
Sec. 3
from passage
10-222d(c)
Sec. 4
from passage
New section
Sec. 5
from passage
10-222h
FIN Joint Favorable Subst.
FIN
Joint Favorable Subst.