House File 2652 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 2652 BY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS (SUCCESSOR TO HSB 692) A BILL FOR An Act relating to school security, including by modifying 1 provisions related to the issuance of school bonds, 2 requiring schools to conduct school safety reviews and have 3 access to a public safety answering point, establishing 4 the firearm detection software grant program within the 5 department of homeland security and emergency management, 6 requiring the department of public safety to convene a 7 task force related to the safety and security standards of 8 schools and school infrastructure, making appropriations, 9 and including effective date and applicability provisions. 10 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 11 TLSB 6271HV (2) 90 jda/jh
H.F. 2652 Section 1. NEW SECTION . 279.84 Mobile panic alert systems. 1 A school district may purchase, install, and operate a 2 mobile panic alert system if all of the following requirements 3 are satisfied: 4 1. The system is capable of connecting different emergency 5 services technologies to ensure real-time coordination between 6 school employees and law enforcement agencies. 7 2. The system is capable of integrating with local public 8 safety answering point infrastructure and existing land mobile 9 radio platform technology to transmit 911 calls and mobile 10 activations. 11 Sec. 2. NEW SECTION . 279.85 School bonds restrictions. 12 Notwithstanding sections 298.21 and 423F.4, the board of 13 directors of a school district shall not issue negotiable, 14 interest-bearing school bonds for borrowing money for 15 purposes of constructing a new school building or site to 16 be used primarily for interscholastic athletic contests or 17 competitions, or renovating or improving a school building 18 or site that is currently used primarily for interscholastic 19 athletic contests or competitions, unless all of the attendance 20 centers of the school corporation are in compliance with the 21 provisions of the state building code, adopted on or after the 22 effective date of this Act, related to the construction of new 23 attendance centers and the renovation of existing attendance 24 centers that incorporate standards designed to increase the 25 safety of schools and school infrastructure. 26 Sec. 3. REQUIRED SCHOOL SAFETY REVIEW. 27 1. If not already completed, each school district, 28 accredited nonpublic school, charter school established 29 pursuant to chapter 256E, charter school established pursuant 30 to chapter 256F, and innovation zone school established 31 pursuant to chapter 256F shall complete a comprehensive review 32 and evaluation of the schools ability to ensure the safety 33 of students enrolled in the school and of school employees, 34 including a review and evaluation of the schools plan for 35 -1- LSB 6271HV (2) 90 jda/jh 1/ 12
H.F. 2652 responses to active shooter scenarios and natural disasters and 1 the schools safety and security infrastructure. 2 2. On or before the first day of the school calendar 3 established pursuant to section 279.10, subsection 1, for the 4 school year beginning July 1, 2024, each school district, 5 accredited nonpublic school, charter school established 6 pursuant to chapter 256E, charter school established pursuant 7 to chapter 256F, and innovation zone school established 8 pursuant to chapter 256F shall submit the results of the 9 comprehensive review and evaluation to the department of public 10 safetys school safety bureau, police forces of the counties in 11 which school attendance centers are located, the local district 12 office of the state patrol, and, if applicable, the police 13 forces of the cities in which school attendance centers are 14 located, if not already submitted. 15 3. This section shall not be construed to duplicate 16 any review, evaluation, report, or assessment that school 17 districts, accredited nonpublic schools, charter schools, or 18 innovation zone schools are currently required to complete. 19 4. The results of the comprehensive review and evaluation 20 completed and submitted pursuant to this section shall be 21 confidential and shall not be a public record subject to 22 disclosure under chapter 22. 23 Sec. 4. REQUIRED ACCESS TO A PUBLIC SAFETY ANSWERING 24 POINT. On or before the first day of the school calendar 25 established pursuant to section 279.10, subsection 1, for the 26 school year beginning July 1, 2025, each school district, 27 accredited nonpublic school, charter school established 28 pursuant to chapter 256E, charter school established pursuant 29 to chapter 256F, and innovation zone school established 30 pursuant to chapter 256F is required to have at least one 31 handheld or console radio, at each attendance center, that is 32 capable of accessing a public safety answering point. 33 Sec. 5. FIREARM DETECTION SOFTWARE PILOT PROGRAM 34 DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT 35 -2- LSB 6271HV (2) 90 jda/jh 2/ 12
H.F. 2652 APPROPRIATION. 1 1. The department of homeland security and emergency 2 management shall establish a firearm detection software grant 3 program to provide grants to school districts to help such 4 school districts offset the cost associated with purchasing, 5 installing, and operating software that meets all of the 6 following requirements: 7 a. Is designed to detect and alert school district employees 8 and first responders if there is a visible, unholstered firearm 9 on property owned by the school district. 10 b. Is designated by the secretary of homeland security as 11 qualified anti-terrorism technology under 6 U.S.C. 441 et seq. 12 c. Is designed to integrate with a school districts 13 existing security camera infrastructure. 14 d. Was developed in the United States without the use of any 15 third-party data or open-source data. 16 2. The department of homeland security and emergency 17 management shall provide at least one grant under the firearm 18 detection software grant program to each of the following 19 school districts: 20 a. A school district with a total enrollment in the school 21 year beginning July 1, 2023, that was among the forty-eight 22 largest total enrollment amounts in the state. 23 b. A school district with a total enrollment in the school 24 year beginning July 1, 2023, that was among the next sixty-four 25 largest total enrollment amounts in the state, after the school 26 districts described in paragraph a. 27 c. A school district that is not described in paragraph a 28 or b. 29 3. The department of homeland security and emergency 30 management shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A to 31 administer this section, including rules relating to grant 32 application materials and award criteria. 33 4. Moneys awarded under this section shall be used to 34 supplement, not supplant, existing public funding used by 35 -3- LSB 6271HV (2) 90 jda/jh 3/ 12
H.F. 2652 school districts for similar purposes. 1 5. a. Each school district that receives a grant pursuant 2 to this section shall, in coordination with the department of 3 homeland security and emergency management and the department 4 of public safetys school safety bureau, evaluate the 5 effectiveness of the software purchased with moneys awarded 6 under this section in protecting students, school personnel, 7 and the public. 8 b. Each school district that receives a grant pursuant 9 to this section shall submit an initial evaluation of the 10 effectiveness of the software purchased with moneys awarded 11 under this section to the general assembly on or before 12 December 15, 2024. 13 c. Each school district that receives a grant pursuant 14 to this section shall submit a final evaluation of the 15 effectiveness of the software purchased with moneys awarded 16 under this section to the general assembly on or before 17 December 15, 2025. 18 6. a. There is appropriated from the general fund of the 19 state to the department of homeland security and emergency 20 management for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2023, and 21 ending June 30, 2024, the following amount, or so much thereof 22 as is necessary, to be used for the purposes designated: 23 For purposes of the firearm detection software grant program 24 established pursuant to subsection 1, if enacted: 25 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 350,000 26 b. Notwithstanding section 8.33, moneys appropriated in 27 this subsection that remain unencumbered or unobligated at the 28 close of the fiscal year shall not revert but shall remain 29 available for expenditure for the purposes designated until the 30 close of the succeeding fiscal year. 31 Sec. 6. DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY, DEPARTMENT OF 32 EDUCATION, AND DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY AND EMERGENCY 33 MANAGEMENT SCHOOL SAFETY AND SECURITY INFRASTRUCTURE 34 STANDARDS TASK FORCE. 35 -4- LSB 6271HV (2) 90 jda/jh 4/ 12
H.F. 2652 1. The department of public safety, in collaboration with 1 the department of education and the department of homeland 2 security and emergency management, shall convene and provide 3 administrative support to a task force that shall study 4 and make recommendations related to the safety and security 5 standards of schools and school infrastructure, including 6 safety and security standards related to doors, windows, 7 cameras, and locks. 8 2. a. The department of public safety, in collaboration 9 with the department of education and the department of homeland 10 security and emergency management, shall appoint all of the 11 following members to the task force: 12 (1) A representative of the department of public safety. 13 (2) A representative of the department of homeland security 14 and emergency management. 15 (3) A representative of the department of public safetys 16 school safety bureau. 17 (4) A representative of the department of education. 18 (5) A superintendent of a school district located in this 19 state that has a total enrollment of greater than or equal to 20 one thousand students. 21 (6) A superintendent of a school district located in this 22 state that has a total enrollment of less than one thousand 23 students. 24 (7) One school resource officer who is employed by a school 25 district or accredited nonpublic school located in this state. 26 (8) One president or chief executive officer of an 27 accredited nonpublic school located in this state. 28 (9) Two members of the boards of directors of school 29 districts located in this state; provided, however, that such 30 members shall not be members of the boards of directors of 31 a school district that employs the superintendents appointed 32 pursuant to subparagraph (5) or (6). 33 (10) One representative of an association located in 34 this state that represents members that perform commercial, 35 -5- LSB 6271HV (2) 90 jda/jh 5/ 12
H.F. 2652 industrial, and public works building projects, and 1 that provides such members with a comprehensive array of 2 educational, safety, environmental, labor, legal, professional 3 development, and legislative services. 4 b. The department of education may appoint not more than 5 four members to the task force, if the department of education 6 determines that the appointment of such member or members will 7 be beneficial to the study and recommendations the task force 8 is required to complete. 9 3. Any expenses incurred by a member of the task force 10 shall be the responsibility of the individual member or the 11 respective entity represented by the member. 12 4. The task force shall submit its findings and 13 recommendations to the general assembly on or before December 14 31, 2024. The findings and recommendations shall include a 15 proposal for modifications to the state building code that 16 are applicable to the construction of new attendance centers 17 and the renovation of existing attendance centers and that 18 incorporate standards designed to increase the safety of 19 schools and school infrastructure. 20 Sec. 7. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY AND EMERGENCY 21 MANAGEMENT SCHOOL SECURITY PERSONNEL GRANTS FOR 22 INFRASTRUCTURE, EQUIPMENT, AND TRAINING. 23 1. a. If 2024 Iowa Acts, House File 2586, or successor 24 legislation, is enacted, the department of homeland security 25 and emergency management shall establish a grant program to 26 provide grants to applicant school districts for the fiscal 27 year beginning July 1, 2024, and ending June 30, 2025, to allow 28 such school districts to do all of the following: 29 (1) Purchase infrastructure and equipment related to 30 employee permits to carry weapons issued under section 724.6, 31 subsection 1, paragraph a, subparagraph (3), if enacted in 32 2024 Iowa Acts, House File 2586, or successor legislation. 33 (2) Facilitate the training associated with employee 34 permits to carry weapons issued under section 724.6, subsection 35 -6- LSB 6271HV (2) 90 jda/jh 6/ 12
H.F. 2652 1, paragraph a, subparagraph (3), if enacted in 2024 Iowa 1 Acts, House File 2586, or successor legislation. 2 (3) Provide stipends to employees who participate in the 3 training associated with employee permits to carry weapons 4 issued under section 724.6, subsection 1, paragraph a, 5 subparagraph (3), if enacted in 2024 Iowa Acts, House File 6 2586, or successor legislation. 7 b. The department of homeland security and emergency 8 management shall adopt rules to implement the grant program 9 described in paragraph a. The rules adopted by the 10 department of homeland security and emergency management shall 11 establish an application process for school districts and 12 shall define infrastructure, equipment, and training for 13 purposes of the grant program. 14 c. The department of homeland security and emergency 15 management shall not award a school district with more than 16 twenty-five thousand dollars in grant funding under this 17 subsection. 18 2. If 2024 Iowa Acts, House File 2586, or successor 19 legislation, is enacted, there is appropriated from the 911 20 emergency communications fund established pursuant to section 21 34A.7A to the department of homeland security and emergency 22 management for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024, and 23 ending June 30, 2025, the following amount, or so much thereof 24 as is necessary, to be used for the purposes designated: 25 For purposes of the grant program established under 26 subsection 1: 27 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 3,000,000 28 Sec. 8. EMERGENCY RULES. The department of homeland 29 security and emergency management may adopt emergency 30 rules under section 17A.4, subsection 3, and section 17A.5, 31 subsection 2, paragraph b, to implement the provisions of 32 this Act establishing the firearm detection software grant 33 program, and the rules shall be effective immediately upon 34 filing unless a later date is specified in the rules. Any 35 -7- LSB 6271HV (2) 90 jda/jh 7/ 12
H.F. 2652 rules adopted in accordance with this section shall also be 1 published as a notice of intended action as provided in section 2 17A.4. 3 Sec. 9. STATE MANDATE FUNDING SPECIFIED. In accordance 4 with section 25B.2, subsection 3, the state cost of requiring 5 compliance with any state mandate included in this Act shall 6 be paid by a school district from state school foundation aid 7 received by the school district under section 257.16. This 8 specification of the payment of the state cost shall be deemed 9 to meet all of the state funding-related requirements of 10 section 25B.2, subsection 3, and no additional state funding 11 shall be necessary for the full implementation of this Act 12 by and enforcement of this Act against all affected school 13 districts. 14 Sec. 10. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act, being deemed of 15 immediate importance, takes effect upon enactment. 16 Sec. 11. APPLICABILITY. The following applies to school 17 bonds authorized by voters at an election held after July 1, 18 2024, and projects approved by the board of directors of a 19 school district after July 1, 2024: 20 The section of this Act enacting section 279.85. 21 EXPLANATION 22 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 23 the explanations substance by the members of the general assembly. 24 This bill relates to school security, including by modifying 25 provisions related to the issuance of school bonds, requiring 26 schools to conduct school safety reviews and have access to 27 a public safety answering point, establishing the firearm 28 detection software grant program within the department of 29 homeland security and emergency management, and requiring the 30 department of public safety to convene a task force related 31 to the safety and security standards of schools and school 32 infrastructure. 33 The bill authorizes school districts to purchase, 34 install, and operate a mobile panic alert system if the 35 -8- LSB 6271HV (2) 90 jda/jh 8/ 12
H.F. 2652 system is capable of connecting different emergency services 1 technologies to ensure real-time coordination between 2 employees and law enforcement agencies and if the system is 3 capable of integrating with local public safety answering 4 point infrastructure and existing land mobile radio platform 5 technology. 6 The bill requires each school district, accredited nonpublic 7 school, charter school, and innovation zone school to complete 8 a comprehensive review and evaluation of the schools ability 9 to ensure the safety of students enrolled in the school and of 10 school employees. 11 The bill establishes that, on or before the first day of 12 the school calendar for the school year beginning July 1, 13 2024, each school is required to submit the results of the 14 comprehensive review and evaluation to the department of public 15 safetys school safety bureau, police forces of the counties 16 in which school attendance centers are located, the local 17 district office of the state patrol, and, if applicable, the 18 police forces of the cities in which school attendance centers 19 are located. The bill provides that these provisions shall not 20 be construed to duplicate any review, evaluation, report, or 21 assessment that schools are currently required to complete. 22 The bill also provides that the comprehensive review and 23 evaluation that is completed and submitted pursuant to these 24 provisions shall be confidential and shall not be a public 25 record subject to disclosure. 26 The bill requires that, on or before the first day of the 27 school calendar for the school year beginning July 1, 2025, 28 each school district, accredited nonpublic school, charter 29 school, and innovation zone school is required to have at least 30 one handheld or console radio, at each attendance center, that 31 is capable of accessing a public safety answering point. 32 The bill requires the department of homeland security 33 and emergency management to establish a firearm detection 34 software grant program to provide grants to school districts 35 -9- LSB 6271HV (2) 90 jda/jh 9/ 12
H.F. 2652 to help such school districts offset the cost associated 1 with purchasing, installing, and operating software that is 2 designed to detect and alert school district employees and 3 first responders if there is a visible, unholstered firearm on 4 property owned by the school district, is designated by the 5 secretary of homeland security as qualified anti-terrorism 6 technology, is designed to integrate with a school districts 7 existing security camera infrastructure, and was developed in 8 the United States without the use of any third-party data or 9 open-source data. The bill authorizes the department to adopt 10 emergency rules to implement the program. The bill requires 11 the department to award at least one grant under the program to 12 certain specified schools. The bill appropriates $350,000 from 13 the general fund of the state for FY 2023-2024 for purposes 14 of the grant program. The bill provides that if these moneys 15 remain unencumbered or unobligated at the close of the fiscal 16 year, the moneys shall not revert but shall remain available 17 for expenditure for the purposes designated until the close of 18 the succeeding fiscal year. The bill establishes that moneys 19 awarded under this provision shall be used to supplement, not 20 supplant, existing public funding used by school districts for 21 similar purposes. The bill requires school districts that 22 receive a grant to, in coordination with the department of 23 homeland security and emergency management and the department 24 of public safetys school safety bureau, evaluate the 25 effectiveness of the software purchased with moneys awarded 26 under this provision in protecting students, school personnel, 27 and the public and submit reports to the general assembly. 28 The bill requires the department of public safety, in 29 collaboration with the department of education and the 30 department of homeland security and emergency management, to 31 convene a task force to study and make recommendations related 32 to the safety and security standards of schools and school 33 infrastructure. The bill establishes the membership of the 34 task force. The bill requires the task force to submit its 35 -10- LSB 6271HV (2) 90 jda/jh 10/ 12
H.F. 2652 findings and recommendations to the general assembly on or 1 before December 31, 2024. The findings and recommendations are 2 required to include a proposal for modifications to the state 3 building code that are applicable to the construction of new 4 attendance centers and the renovation of existing attendance 5 centers and that incorporate standards designed to increase 6 the safety of schools and school infrastructure. The bill 7 prohibits the board of directors of a school corporation from 8 issuing negotiable, interest-bearing school bonds, including 9 bonds issued under Code chapter 423F (statewide school 10 infrastructure funding), for borrowing money for purposes of 11 constructing a new school building or site to be used primarily 12 for interscholastic athletic contests or competitions, or 13 renovating or improving a building or site that is currently 14 used for such purposes, unless all of the attendance centers of 15 the school corporation are in compliance with these modified 16 provisions of the state building code, if adopted. The 17 bill provides that these provisions apply to school bonds 18 authorized by voters at an election held after July 1, 2024, 19 and to projects approved by the board of directors of a school 20 district after July 1, 2024. 21 The bill provides that, if 2024 Iowa Acts, House File 22 2586, or successor legislation, is enacted, the department of 23 homeland security and emergency management shall establish 24 a grant program to provide grants to school districts for 25 FY 2024-2025 to allow such school districts to purchase 26 infrastructure and equipment related to employee permits to 27 carry weapons and to facilitate the training associated with 28 employee permits to carry weapons. The bill requires the 29 department of homeland security and emergency management to 30 adopt rules to implement the grant program. The bill prohibits 31 the department of homeland security and emergency management 32 from awarding a school district with more than $25,000 in 33 grant funding under the grant program. The bill appropriates 34 $3 million from the 911 emergency communications fund to the 35 -11- LSB 6271HV (2) 90 jda/jh 11/ 12
H.F. 2652 department of homeland security and emergency management for 1 FY 2024-2025 for purposes of the grant program, if 2024 Iowa 2 Acts, House File 2586, or successor legislation, is enacted. 3 The bill may include a state mandate as defined in Code 4 section 25B.3. The bill requires that the state cost of 5 any state mandate included in the bill be paid by a school 6 district from state school foundation aid received by the 7 school district under Code section 257.16. The specification 8 is deemed to constitute state compliance with any state mandate 9 funding-related requirements of Code section 25B.2. The 10 inclusion of this specification is intended to reinstate the 11 requirement of political subdivisions to comply with any state 12 mandates included in the bill. 13 The bill takes effect upon enactment. 14 -12- LSB 6271HV (2) 90 jda/jh 12/ 12