Florida 2023 2023 Regular Session

Florida Senate Bill S0212 Analysis / Analysis

Filed 04/19/2023

                    The Florida Senate 
BILL ANALYSIS AND FISCAL IMPACT STATEMENT 
(This document is based on the provisions contained in the legislation as of the latest date listed below.) 
Prepared By: The Professional Staff of the Committee on Fiscal Policy  
 
BILL: CS/SB 212 
INTRODUCER:  Appropriations Committee on Education and Senator Collins and others 
SUBJECT:  Emergency Response Mapping Data 
DATE: April 19, 2023 
 
 ANALYST STAFF DIRECTOR  REFERENCE  	ACTION 
1. Brick Bouck ED Favorable 
2. Gray Elwell AED  Fav/CS 
3. Brick Yeatman FP Pre-meeting 
 
Please see Section IX. for Additional Information: 
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE - Substantial Changes 
 
I. Summary: 
CS/SB 212 requires the Department of Education to create the School Mapping Data Grant 
Program for standard emergency response mapping data for public school buildings in this state, 
in order to assist local first responders in responding to emergencies in public schools. Each 
school district, in consultation with the sheriff’s office having jurisdiction, may apply to receive 
funds from the grant program to provide school mapping for the school district. Funds applied 
for shall be administered by the Department of Education. The bill requires the vendor to provide 
the data to the applicable county, district school boards, and the appropriate local, state, and 
federal public safety agencies for use in response to emergencies. 
 
The bill also specifies minimum requirements for the emergency mapping data. 
 
The bill has a significant, but indeterminate fiscal impact. See section V. 
 
The bill is effective July 1, 2023. 
II. Present Situation: 
Lessons learned from school emergencies highlight the importance of preparing school officials 
and first responders to implement emergency operations plans. By having plans in place to keep 
students and staff safe, schools play a key role in taking preventative and protective measures to 
REVISED:   BILL: CS/SB 212   	Page 2 
 
stop an emergency from occurring or reduce the impact of an incident. They provide first aid, 
notify response partners, and provide instructions before first responders arrive.
1
 
 
Schools also work with their community partners (i.e., governmental organizations that have a 
responsibility in the school emergency operations plan to provide a cohesive, coordinated 
response). Community partners include first responders (law enforcement officers, fire officials, 
and emergency medical services personnel) as well as public and mental health entities.
2
 
 
According to federal guidance,
3
 the planning process must include preparing and making 
available to first responders an up-to-date and well-documented site assessment as well as any 
other information that would assist them. These materials should include building schematics 
and photos of both the inside and the outside, and include information about door and window 
locations, and locks and access controls. Emergency responders should also have advance 
information on where students, staff, and others with disabilities as well as those with access and 
functional needs are likely to be sheltering or escaping, generally in physically accessible 
locations, along accessible routes, or in specific classrooms.
4
 
 
State school safety guidance also highlights the importance of ensuring that first responders 
understand the layout of school facilities. In a 2019 report on school safety, the Marjory 
Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission recommended that schools quickly: 
 Ensure all campus doors and buildings are clearly marked with easily identifiable markings 
known to first responders. 
 Mark exterior classroom windows so first responders can identify classrooms from the 
exterior of the building. 
 Place building numbers on the roof for aerial support. 
 Provide keys/access to on duty law enforcement so they can quickly enter the school.
 5
 
 
State-Level Support 
Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan 
For the 3,697 public schools in Florida,
6
 emergency management is a collaborative process that 
includes the Division of Emergency Management (DEM), the Department of Education (DOE), 
local governments and first responders, and district school boards. 
                                                
1
 U.S. Department of Education, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, Office of Safe and Healthy Students, Guide 
for Developing High-Quality School Emergency Operations Plans (2013), available at 
https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/2020-07/guide-developing-school-emergency-operations-plans.pdf at 7. 
2
 U.S. Department of Education, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, Office of Safe and Healthy Students, Guide 
for Developing High-Quality School Emergency Operations Plans (2013), available at 
https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/2020-07/guide-developing-school-emergency-operations-plans.pdf at 7. 
3
 The federal agencies collaborating on the guidance include the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Federal Emergency 
Management Agency, and the U.S. Departments of Education, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, and Justice. 
4
 U.S. Department of Education, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, Office of Safe and Healthy Students, Guide 
for Developing High-Quality School Emergency Operations Plans (2013), available at 
https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/2020-07/guide-developing-school-emergency-operations-plans.pdf at 64. 
5
 Marjory Stoneman Douglas Public High School Safety Commission, Initial Report (Jan. 2019), available at 
http://www.fdle.state.fl.us/MSDHS/CommissionReport.pdf at 364. 
6
 As of August 2021, there were 3,697 public schools in Florida. Florida Department of Education, PK-12 Public School 
Data Publications and Reports: 2021-22 Public School Files, available at https://www.fldoe.org/accountability/data-sys/edu- BILL: CS/SB 212   	Page 3 
 
 
The DEM is required to prepare a state comprehensive emergency management plan (CEMP). 
The CEMP serves as the master operations document for Florida and is the framework through 
which the state handles emergencies and disasters.
 7
  
 
Each county, or with approval from the Governor, a group of two or more adjoining counties, is 
required to establish and maintain such an emergency management agency and develop a county 
emergency management plan and program that is coordinated and consistent with the state 
comprehensive emergency management plan and program.
8
 
 
During a declared state or local emergency and upon the request of the director of the local 
emergency management agency, the district school board or school boards in the affected area 
are required to participate in emergency management by providing facilities and necessary 
personnel to staff such facilities.
9
 
 
The Department of Education 
When the needs of disaster survivors exceed local government capabilities, the DOE is tasked 
under the CEMP, in relevant part, to: 
 Coordinate, when necessary during emergency activations, the use of educational facilities, 
campuses and equipment by federal and state agencies, local school districts and Colleges. 
 Serve as the primary liaisons in coordinating all phases of an emergency response from pre-
disaster planning through post disaster recovery of educational facilities.  
 Facilitate the coordination and implementation of an emergency communication network 
with the State Emergency Response Team and the public education school districts and 
Colleges. 
 Be prepared to provide trained personnel to other emergency response agencies upon 
activation of the State Emergency Operations Center.
 10
 
 
The Commissioner of Education oversees and enforces compliance with the requirements 
relating to school safety and security by district school boards, district school superintendents, 
and public schools, including charter schools. The commissioner must facilitate compliance to 
the maximum extent provided under law, identify incidents of noncompliance, and impose or 
recommend to the State Board of Education, the Governor, or the Legislature enforcement and 
sanctioning actions.
11
 
 
The Office of Safe Schools 
The Office of Safe Schools (OSS) is a division of the DOE that serves as a central repository for 
best practices, training standards, and compliance oversight in matters regarding school safety 
                                                
info-accountability-services/pk-12-public-school-data-pubs-reports/school/index.stml (Excel file “Number of Elementary, 
Middle/Junior High, High, and Combination Schools, K-12 General Education, by District”). 
7
 Section 252.35(2), F.S. 
8
 Section 252.38(1)(a), F.S. 
9
 Section 252.38(1)(d), F.S. 
10
 Florida Division of Emergency Management, 2020 Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan, available at 
https://www.floridadisaster.org/globalassets/cemp/2020-cemp/2020-state-cemp.pdf at 92 and 101. 
11
 Section 1001.11(9), F.S.  BILL: CS/SB 212   	Page 4 
 
and security, including prevention efforts, intervention efforts, and emergency preparedness 
planning. OSS responsibilities include, in relevant part: 
 The establishment of the school security risk assessment tool for use by school districts. 
 The development of a model emergency event family reunification plan for use by child care 
facilities, public K-12 schools, and public postsecondary institutions that are closed or 
unexpectedly evacuated due to natural or man-made disasters or emergencies. 
 The development and implementation of a School Safety Specialist Training Program for 
school safety specialists, which must be based on national and state best practices on school 
safety and include active shooter training. 
 Provision of ongoing professional development opportunities to district school board and 
charter school personnel.
12
 
 
School District Requirements Related to School Safety 
Emergency Response Policies and Procedures 
District school boards must formulate and prescribe policies and procedures for emergency drills 
and for actual emergencies, including, but not limited to, fires, natural disasters, active assailant 
and hostage situations, and bomb threats, for all students and faculty at all district K-12 public 
schools. District school board policies must establish emergency response and emergency 
preparedness policies and procedures, including emergency notification procedures.
13
 
 
Each district school board must employ a school safety specialist to serve as the school district 
liaison with local public safety agencies and national, state, and community agencies and 
organizations in matters of school safety and security.
14
 The school safety specialist must also 
conduct a school security risk assessment at each public school using the Florida Safe Schools 
Assessment Tool (FSSAT). 
 
The FSSAT is required to be used by school officials at each school district and public school 
site in the state in conducting security assessments and is intended to help school officials 
identify threats, vulnerabilities, and appropriate safety controls for the schools that they 
supervise. The FSSAT is required to address certain components of school safety, such as school 
emergency and crisis preparedness planning.
15
 
 
Each district school superintendent must provide to the law enforcement agency and fire 
department that has jurisdiction over each educational facility a copy of the floor plans and other 
relevant documents for each educational facility in the district. After the initial submission of the 
floor plans and other relevant documents, the district school superintendent is required to submit, 
by October 1 of each year, revised floor plans and other relevant documents for each educational 
facility in the district that was modified during the preceding year.
16
 
 
                                                
12
 Section 1001.212, F.S. 
13
 Section 1006.07(4), F.S. 
14
 Section 1006.07(6)(a), F.S. 
15
 Section 1006.1493, F.S. 
16
 Section 1013.13(1), F.S.  BILL: CS/SB 212   	Page 5 
 
Trends in Emergency Response Mapping Data in Schools 
At least 24 states are actively investing in digital maps, according to Critical Response Group, 
Inc., the country’s largest school-mapping contractor. An initial digital or critical incident map 
by a third-party contractor can cost between roughly $3,500 and $5,000 per school.
 17
 
 
Virginia 
In Virginia, as part of required safety audits, each school board must create a detailed and 
accurate floor plan for each public school building in the local school division or certify that the 
existing floor plan for each such school is sufficiently detailed and accurate.
18
 In 2022, the 
Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services announced it will reimburse each district 
school board up to $3,500 for each school that collaborates with local first responder partners 
and chooses an approved vendor to provide digital mapping services for the school.
19
  
 
New Jersey 
Under a bill passed in New Jersey in 2022, public and private schools are required to submit to 
local law enforcement authorities digital mapping data of school facilities.
20
 The state has 
allocated $6.5 million in funding from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021
21
 to cover digital 
mapping for the 1,500 public and private schools that do not have digital maps.
22
 
 
Washington 
The Washington Legislature has appropriated $24 million to map schools and cover operational 
costs of the school mapping system since 2003, when it directed the Washington Association of 
Sheriffs and Police Chiefs to create a statewide first responder mapping system for schools and 
other public buildings. Currently, school districts update the information at their own expense. 
Among districts and agencies that report using the system, 33 to 53 percent intend to use it 
during an incident. Following a review of the status of the system in schools, the Joint 
Legislative Audit and Review Committee recommended that the Washington Association of 
Sheriffs and Police Chiefs should: 
 Develop and implement detailed training and outreach strategies that have measurable goals 
and targets. 
 Periodically review technology standards, address user feedback about technology issues, 
and use system data to inform its program management decisions.
 23
 
 
                                                
17
 Pew, After Uvalde, States Look to New Digital Maps to Keep Schools Safe (Oct. 2022), 
https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2022/10/18/after-uvalde-states-look-to-new-digital-maps-
to-keep-schools-safe (last visited Feb. 2, 2023). 
18
 Va. Code s. 22.1-279.8. 
19
 Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services, Digital Mapping Program for Virginia K-12 Schools, 
https://www.dcjs.virginia.gov/digital-mapping-program-virginia-k-12-schools (last visited Jan. 31, 2023). 
20
 New Jersey Legislature, S2426 (Session 2022-2023), https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bill-search/2022/S2426 (last visited Jan. 
31, 2023). 
21
 Pub. L. No. 117-2, 135 Stat. 1517 (Mar. 11, 2021). 
22
 State of New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, Governor Murphy Unveils Statewide School Security Initiative (Aug. 2022), 
https://www.nj.gov/governor/news/news/562022/20220830a.shtml (last visited Jan. 31, 2023). 
23
 Washington JLARC, 20-02 Final Report: First Responder Mapping System in K-12 Schools (June 2020), 
https://leg.wa.gov/jlarc/reports/2020/mapping/f_3/default.html (last visited Jan. 31, 2023).  BILL: CS/SB 212   	Page 6 
 
Wisconsin 
In 2022, the Wisconsin Department of Justice began offering grants of up to $5,000 per building 
to district school boards, governing bodies of private schools, public schools, and tribal schools 
to submit to law enforcement a digital blueprint of a school that can be easily accessed by law 
enforcement on cell phones or other devices during a critical incident and provide a clear layout 
of a school for law enforcement when a quick response is necessary. A total of $2 million is 
available in grant funding.
24
 
 
Michigan 
The Michigan Legislature appropriated $12.5 million
25
 to districts, intermediate districts, and 
nonpublic schools for the implementation of critical incidence mapping that: 
 Is compatible with platforms and applications used by local, state, and federal public safety 
officials. 
 Does not require the purchase of additional software for use. 
 Is provided in a printable format.  
 Is verified for accuracy through a walk-through of a school building and school grounds. 
 Is oriented true north. 
 Includes accurate floor plans overlaid on or current aerial imagery of a school building or 
school plan.  
 Includes site-specific labeling that matches the structure of the school building, including 
room labels, hallway names, external door or stairwell numbers, locations of hazards, key 
utility locations, key boxes, automated external defibrillators, and trauma kits. 
 Includes site-specific labeling that matches the school grounds, including parking areas, 
athletic fields, surrounding roads, and neighboring properties. 
 Includes a gridded overlay with x/y coordinates. 
 Includes information that best assists first responders in an emergency, including, but not 
limited to, the following information: 
o Building numbers.  
o Floors.  
o Suite designations.  
o Room numbers.  
o Other available relevant location information for each school.
 26
 
III. Effect of Proposed Changes: 
In order to assist local first responders in responding to emergencies in public schools, SB 212 
amends s. 1013.13, F.S., to require the Department of Education to create a School Mapping 
Data Grant, which  public schools
27
 in this state can apply to receive funds for. The bill requires 
                                                
24
 Wisconsin Department of Justice, DOJ Launches $2 Million Critical Incident Mapping Data Grant Program (July 2022), 
https://www.doj.state.wi.us/news-releases/doj-launches-2-million-critical-incident-mapping-data-grant-program (last visited 
Feb. 1, 2023). 
25
 Michigan House Fiscal Agency, FY 2021-22 Supplemental Appropriations Summary: Enacted Public Act 93 of 2022 
(House Bill 6012), available at http://www.legislature.mi.gov/documents/2021-2022/billanalysis/House/pdf/2021-HLA-
6012-2F2BB5B1.pdf. 
26
 2022 Mich. Pub. Act. 93, s. 97d. 
27
 Public schools include charter schools. Section 1002.33(1), F.S.  BILL: CS/SB 212   	Page 7 
 
the vendor to provide the data to the applicable county, district school boards, and the 
appropriate local, state, and federal public safety agencies for use in response to emergencies. 
 
The bill specifies minimum requirements for the emergency mapping data. Specifically, the bill 
requires the emergency response mapping data to be provided in an electronic or digital format 
to assist first responders in responding to emergencies at schools. The bill also requires the 
emergency response mapping data to: 
 Be compatible with software platforms used by local, state, and federal public safety 
agencies that provide emergency services to the specific school for which the data is 
provided without requiring such agencies to purchase additional software or requiring a fee 
to view or access the data. 
 Be compatible with security software platforms in use by the specific school for which the 
data are provided without requiring local law enforcement agencies or school districts to 
purchase additional software or requiring a fee to access or view the data. 
 Be provided in a printable format and if requested be in a digital file format that can be 
integrated into interactive mobile platforms in use. 
 Be verified for accuracy by a walk-through of school buildings and grounds. 
 Be oriented true north. 
 Be overlaid on current aerial imagery. 
 Contain site-specific labeling that matches the structure of school buildings, including room 
labels, hallway names, and external door or stairwell numbers and locations of hazards, 
critical utility locations, key boxes, automated external defibrillators, and trauma kits. 
 Contain site-specific labeling that matches the school grounds, including parking areas, 
athletic fields, surrounding roads, and neighboring properties. 
 Be overlaid with gridded x/y coordinates. 
 
Up-to-date mapping data for each public school may provide a more efficient and effective 
means for school officials and emergency responders to communicate critical information during 
a school emergency. 
 
The bill is effective July 1, 2023. 
IV. Constitutional Issues: 
A. Municipality/County Mandates Restrictions: 
None. 
B. Public Records/Open Meetings Issues: 
None. 
C. Trust Funds Restrictions: 
None.  BILL: CS/SB 212   	Page 8 
 
D. State Tax or Fee Increases: 
None. 
E. Other Constitutional Issues: 
None. 
V. Fiscal Impact Statement: 
A. Tax/Fee Issues: 
None. 
B. Private Sector Impact: 
None. 
C. Government Sector Impact: 
SB 212 may have a significant, but indeterminate negative impact on general revenue. 
VI. Technical Deficiencies: 
None. 
VII. Related Issues: 
None. 
VIII. Statutes Affected: 
This bill substantially amends section 1013.13 of the Florida Statutes. 
IX. Additional Information: 
A. Committee Substitute – Statement of Changes: 
(Summarizing differences between the Committee Substitute and the prior version of the bill.) 
CS by Appropriations Committee on Education on March 14, 2023: 
The committee substitute amends the bill to create the School Mapping Data Grant 
Program to provide flexibility for implementing the school emergency mapping data 
required by the bill. The committee substitute: 
 Replaces the requirement for the Department of Education to procure a vendor to 
produce standard emergency response mapping data for every public school building 
in the state with the requirement for the Department of Education to administer the 
School Mapping Data Grant Program to provide to each applicable school district. 
School districts, in consultation with the Sheriff’s office having jurisdiction, will need 
to apply to receive funds from the program to provide school mapping data for every 
public school building in the district.  BILL: CS/SB 212   	Page 9 
 
 Replaces the requirement for the mapping data to be accessible to emergency 
response services without requiring the integration of third party software with the 
requirement that data will be accessible to emergency response services and schools 
without a fee. 
 Specifies, that upon request, the mapping data may be provided in digital file format 
that can be integrated into interactive mobile platforms in use. 
B. Amendments: 
None. 
This Senate Bill Analysis does not reflect the intent or official position of the bill’s introducer or the Florida Senate.