Introduced Version
HOUSE BILL No. 1398
_____
DIGEST OF INTRODUCED BILL
Citations Affected: IC 10-21; IC 20-19-3-14.
Synopsis: Office of school safety. Establishes the office of school
safety (office) within the department of homeland security. Requires
the office to: (1) function as a central repository for best practices
regarding school safety; (2) establish certain school safety guidelines
and standards; and (3) monitor the implementation of school safety
legislation. Allows the office, at the request of a county school safety
commission, to: (1) review school safety plans; (2) provide onsite
safety reviews; and (3) provide guidance or assistance relating to
school safety matters. Requires the office to maintain a public website
containing certain information. Provides that the secured school safety
board must review school safety grant expenditures and submit an
annual report to the office. Creates certain responsibilities for
multi-disciplinary threat assessment teams upon receipt of a report of
a threat or threatening behavior. Repeals the division of school building
physical security and safety established within the department of
education.
Effective: July 1, 2025.
Davis, Criswell, Commons
January 13, 2025, read first time and referred to Committee on Veterans Affairs and Public
Safety.
2025 IN 1398—LS 6754/DI 143 Introduced
First Regular Session of the 124th General Assembly (2025)
PRINTING CODE. Amendments: Whenever an existing statute (or a section of the Indiana
Constitution) is being amended, the text of the existing provision will appear in this style type,
additions will appear in this style type, and deletions will appear in this style type.
Additions: Whenever a new statutory provision is being enacted (or a new constitutional
provision adopted), the text of the new provision will appear in this style type. Also, the
word NEW will appear in that style type in the introductory clause of each SECTION that adds
a new provision to the Indiana Code or the Indiana Constitution.
Conflict reconciliation: Text in a statute in this style type or this style type reconciles conflicts
between statutes enacted by the 2024 Regular Session of the General Assembly.
HOUSE BILL No. 1398
A BILL FOR AN ACT to amend the Indiana Code concerning
public safety.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Indiana:
1 SECTION 1. IC 10-21-1-1, AS AMENDED BY P.L.150-2023,
2 SECTION 2, IS AMENDED TO READ AS FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE
3 JULY 1, 2025]: Sec. 1. The following definitions apply throughout this
4 chapter:
5 (1) "Accredited nonpublic school" means a nonpublic school that:
6 (A) has voluntarily become accredited under IC 20-31-4.1; or
7 (B) is accredited by a national or regional accrediting agency
8 that is recognized by the state board of education.
9 (2) "Active event warning system" refers to a system that includes
10 services and technology that will notify available law enforcement
11 agencies in the area of a school building of a life threatening
12 emergency.
13 (3) "ADM" refers to average daily membership determined under
14 IC 20-43-4-2. In the case of a school corporation career and
15 technical education school described in IC 20-37-1-1, "ADM"
16 refers to the count on a full-time equivalency basis of students
17 attending the school on the date ADM is determined under
2025 IN 1398—LS 6754/DI 143 2
1 IC 20-43-4-2.
2 (4) "Board" refers to the secured school safety board established
3 by section 3 of this chapter.
4 (5) "Bullying prevention program" refers to a program that must
5 contain one (1) or more of the following components:
6 (A) Offers students and school personnel opportunities to
7 develop the skills and strategies to prevent bullying and
8 potential bullying situations in digital and physical spaces,
9 including the usage of research based models.
10 (B) Enables school personnel, including school safety
11 specialists, safe school committee members, and school
12 resource officers, to identify and acquire the programs,
13 technology software, resources, and training necessary
14 concerning the:
15 (i) development and implementation of bullying and
16 cyberbullying prevention programs and school violence,
17 human trafficking, and self-harm mitigation programs;
18 (ii) establishment of bullying and cyberbullying
19 investigation, intervention, and reporting procedures;
20 (iii) adoption of discipline rules that comply with
21 IC 20-33-8-13.5; and
22 (iv) integration of the program into wider school efforts,
23 including a school safety plan, to promote educational
24 progress and the physical safety and well-being of school
25 students, families, faculty, and staff.
26 (6) "County school safety commission" has the meaning set forth
27 in section 12 of this chapter.
28 (7) "Critical incidence digital mapping" means the digitized
29 mapping of a school building and school grounds to best assist
30 first responders in an emergency that must:
31 (A) include accurate floor plans overlaid on or current aerial
32 imagery of a school building or school plan with surrounding
33 school grounds;
34 (B) include site-specific labeling that matches:
35 (i) the structure of the school building, including room
36 labels, hallway names, room numbers, external doors,
37 interior doors, stairwell numbers, locations of hazardous
38 materials, key utility locations, key boxes, automated
39 external defibrillators, and trauma kits; and
40 (ii) the school grounds, including parking areas, athletic
41 fields, surrounding roads, and neighboring proprieties;
42 (C) be compatible with platforms and applications used by
2025 IN 1398—LS 6754/DI 143 3
1 local, state, and federal public safety agencies;
2 (D) be verified for accuracy through a walk through of a
3 school building and school grounds;
4 (E) not require the purchase of additional software for use;
5 (F) be accessible in a printable format;
6 (G) be shared with:
7 (i) the law enforcement agency and fire department that
8 have jurisdiction over the mapped school building; and
9 (ii) the statewide 911 system as described in
10 IC 36-8-16.7-22 through the public safety answer point, or
11 "PSAP", described in IC 36-8-16.7-20 that has jurisdiction
12 over the mapped school building; and
13 (H) be kept confidential and withheld from public disclosure.
14 (8) "Fund" refers to the Indiana secured school fund established
15 by section 2 of this chapter.
16 (9) "Law enforcement agency" refers to a state, local, or federal
17 agency or department that would respond to an emergency event
18 at a school, including both on duty and off duty officers within the
19 agency or department.
20 (10) "Multi-disciplinary threat assessment team" means a
21 multi-disciplinary threat assessment team described in section
22 17 of this chapter. group of individuals with expertise in school
23 physical security, school administration, educational instruction,
24 youth counseling, mental health and behavioral health, and law
25 enforcement established by the leadership of the school
26 corporation or charter school that may serve one (1) or more
27 schools, that must meet the following requirements:
28 (A) Be comprised of at least:
29 (i) a school safety specialist or an individual designated by
30 the school safety committee;
31 (ii) a member of a safe school committee;
32 (iii) a school building level administrator;
33 (iv) a school resource officer, if one (1) is either employed
34 by or assigned to the school corporation or charter school;
35 (v) an individual with expertise in special education; and
36 (vi) a school counselor or social worker.
37 (B) Conduct multi-disciplinary threat assessments that shall:
38 (i) provide guidance to students, faculty, and staff regarding
39 the recognition of threatening or aberrant behavior that may
40 represent a threat to the community, school, or self;
41 (ii) identify members of the school community to whom
42 threatening behavior should be reported;
2025 IN 1398—LS 6754/DI 143 4
1 (iii) establish procedures to assess, identify, and intervene
2 with individuals whose behavior may pose a threat to the
3 safety of school students, families, faculty, and staff; and
4 (iv) inform the adoption, implementation, and updating of
5 policies adopted by the school corporation or charter school,
6 including school safety plans and the policies of a safe
7 school committee for a particular school.
8 (11) "Office of school safety" refers to the office of school
9 safety established by section 1.5 of this chapter.
10 (11) (12) "Safe school committee" means a safe school committee
11 established under section 14 of this chapter.
12 (12) (13) "School corporation or charter school" refers to an
13 individual school corporation, a school corporation career and
14 technical education school described in IC 20-37-1-1, or a charter
15 school but also includes:
16 (A) a coalition of school corporations;
17 (B) a coalition of charter schools; or
18 (C) a coalition of both school corporations and charter schools;
19 that intend to jointly employ a school resource officer or to jointly
20 apply for a matching grant under this chapter, unless the context
21 clearly indicates otherwise.
22 (13) (14) "School official" refers to an employee of a school
23 corporation, charter school, or accredited nonpublic school who
24 has access to an active event warning system.
25 (14) (15) "School resource officer" has the meaning set forth in
26 IC 20-26-18.2-1.
27 (15) (16) "School safety plan" means the school safety plan
28 described in section 10 of this chapter.
29 (16) (17) "School safety specialist" means a school safety
30 specialist designated under section 9 of this chapter.
31 (17) (18) "Site vulnerability assessment" means an examination
32 of the physical safety, security, accessibility, and emergency
33 preparedness of buildings and grounds.
34 (18) (19) "Student safety management technology" refers to an
35 information technology platform and related services to improve
36 student safety by mitigating cyberbullying, school violence,
37 human trafficking, and self-harm.
38 SECTION 2. IC 10-21-1-1.5 IS ADDED TO THE INDIANA CODE
39 AS A NEW SECTION TO READ AS FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE JULY
40 1, 2025]: Sec. 1.5. (a) The office of school safety is established
41 within the department of homeland security to function as a
42 central repository for best practices, training standards,
2025 IN 1398—LS 6754/DI 143 5
1 prevention efforts, intervention efforts, emergency preparedness
2 planning, and compliance oversight in all matters regarding school
3 safety and security.
4 (b) The office of school safety shall do the following:
5 (1) Establish and maintain guidelines for best practices,
6 training standards, and compliance oversight in school safety
7 and security matters.
8 (2) Establish and maintain guidelines for using professional
9 architectural and engineering services to integrate physical
10 security improvements and safety practices in the
11 construction, renovation, repair, or alteration of a school
12 facility.
13 (3) Carry out the office's responsibilities with regards to the
14 school safety specialist training and certification program
15 established by section 13 of this chapter.
16 (4) Carry out the office's responsibilities under section 14 of
17 this chapter.
18 (5) Establish and maintain guidelines for emergency response
19 protocols in cooperation with other state agencies.
20 (6) Coordinate the office's response and recovery assistance
21 to a school in the event of a manmade or natural disaster.
22 (7) Provide information and guidance to assist county school
23 safety commissions in establishing mutual aid disaster
24 assistance agreements within the county.
25 (8) Establish and maintain guidelines, in consultation with the
26 department of homeland security and the Indiana criminal
27 justice institute, for developing and maintaining school safety
28 plans as described in sections 10 and 11 of this chapter.
29 (9) Assist the board in conducting the review and submitting
30 the report described in section 8 of this chapter.
31 (10) Study and collect information to integrate lessons learned
32 from previous school disasters throughout the country into
33 the curriculum of the school safety specialist training and
34 certification program established by section 13 of this chapter
35 and guidelines established under this subsection.
36 (11) Monitor the implementation of school safety legislation
37 by:
38 (A) evaluating the activities of county school safety
39 commissions in order to:
40 (i) provide guidance to school districts;
41 (ii) identify areas of noncompliance; and
42 (iii) provide mechanisms to achieve compliance;
2025 IN 1398—LS 6754/DI 143 6
1 (B) investigating any failures in incident responses on
2 school grounds by local law enforcement agencies and
3 school resource officers, including:
4 (i) identifying existing policies and procedures for active
5 shooter incidents on school premises and evaluating
6 compliance with such policies and procedures in the
7 execution of incident responses;
8 (ii) evaluating the extent to which any failures in policy,
9 procedure, or execution may contribute to an inability to
10 prevent deaths and injuries; and
11 (iii) making specific recommendations for improving law
12 enforcement and school resource officer responses to
13 active shooter incidents; and
14 (C) investigating any failures in interactions with
15 perpetrators preceding incidents of violence by:
16 (i) evaluating the extent to which any such failures
17 contributed to an inability to prevent deaths and
18 injuries; and
19 (ii) making specific recommendations for improving
20 communication and coordination among entities with
21 knowledge of indicators of risk or possible threats of
22 violence.
23 (c) The office of school safety may, upon request by a county
24 school safety commission:
25 (1) review a school safety plan;
26 (2) provide an onsite safety review for a school; and
27 (3) provide guidance or assistance relating to school safety
28 matters to the county school safety commission.
29 (d) The office of school safety shall maintain a public website
30 that contains:
31 (1) the guidelines established by the office under subsection
32 (b)(1); and
33 (2) any other information the office determines may be
34 necessary to carry out the office's duties or responsibilities
35 under this section.
36 SECTION 3. IC 10-21-1-3, AS AMENDED BY P.L.43-2021,
37 SECTION 34, IS AMENDED TO READ AS FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE
38 JULY 1, 2025]: Sec. 3. (a) The secured school safety board is
39 established to do the following:
40 (1) Approve or disapprove applications for matching grants to
41 fund programs described in section 2(a)(1) of this chapter and
42 grants described in section 2(a)(2) of this chapter to fund the
2025 IN 1398—LS 6754/DI 143 7
1 initial set up costs for an active event warning system.
2 (2) Review school safety grant expenditures and evaluate the
3 use of grant funds based on:
4 (A) recommendations from the office of school safety;
5 (B) recommendations of law enforcement; and
6 (C) return on investment analysis.
7 (3) Submit an annual report to the office of school safety
8 concerning the use of grant funds under subdivision (2).
9 (b) The board consists of seven (7) members appointed as follows:
10 (1) The executive director of the department of homeland security
11 or the executive director's designee. The executive director of the
12 department of homeland security or the executive director's
13 designee serves as the chairperson of the board.
14 (2) The attorney general or the attorney general's designee.
15 (3) The superintendent of the state police department or the
16 superintendent's designee.
17 (4) A local law enforcement officer appointed by the governor.
18 (5) The secretary of education or the secretary's designee.
19 (6) The director of the criminal justice institute or the director's
20 designee.
21 (7) An employee of a local school corporation or a charter school
22 appointed by the governor.
23 (c) The board shall establish criteria to be used in evaluating
24 applications for grants from the fund. These criteria must:
25 (1) be consistent with the fund's goals; and
26 (2) provide for an equitable distribution of grants to school
27 corporations, charter schools, and accredited nonpublic schools
28 located throughout Indiana.
29 SECTION 4. IC 10-21-1-10, AS AMENDED BY P.L.135-2024,
30 SECTION 1, IS AMENDED TO READ AS FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE
31 JULY 1, 2025]: Sec. 10. (a) A school corporation shall develop a
32 school safety plan in accordance with subsection (c) for review as
33 described in section 11 of this chapter.
34 (b) Each charter school shall develop a school safety plan in
35 accordance with subsection (c) for review as described in section 11 of
36 this chapter. A charter school in operation on July 1, 2023, shall
37 comply with this subsection on or before July 1, 2024.
38 (c) The school safety plan:
39 (1) must be developed by a school safety specialist and the
40 school's safe school committee, including a school resource
41 officer if one (1) is employed by the school corporation or charter
42 school, in consultation with the:
2025 IN 1398—LS 6754/DI 143 8
1 (A) law enforcement agency; and
2 (B) fire department;
3 that have jurisdiction over the particular school building;
4 (2) must:
5 (A) protect against outside and internal threats to the physical
6 safety of students, faculty, staff, and the public, including
7 unsafe conditions, crime prevention, school violence, bullying
8 and cyberbullying, criminal organization activity, child abuse
9 and child sexual abuse, mental health and behavioral health,
10 suicide awareness and prevention, violence prevention and
11 training, situational awareness, and other issues that prevent
12 the maintenance of a safe school;
13 (B) prevent unauthorized access to school property and
14 interior areas or rooms, including the management of
15 authorized visitors on school property, before, during, and
16 after regular school hours;
17 (C) secure schools against natural and manmade disasters,
18 including all emergency preparedness drill requirements set
19 forth in IC 20-34-3-20;
20 (D) establish an armed intruder drill protocol that:
21 (i) provides accommodations for students who have mobility
22 restrictions, sensory needs, or auditory or visual limitations;
23 (ii) emphasizes the practical nature of the drill;
24 (iii) provides access to mental health services on school
25 grounds following the conclusion of a drill;
26 (iv) provides advance notice of a drill to parents or legal
27 guardians of students who attend the school; and
28 (v) provides alternative exercises for students who are
29 unable to participate in a drill;
30 (E) include a site vulnerability assessment for each school
31 building;
32 (F) not later than July 1, 2025, include the establishment of a
33 multi-disciplinary threat assessment team described in section
34 17 of this chapter;
35 (G) include measures to expedite notification of first
36 responders and access to school property for first responders;
37 and
38 (H) include any additional requirements required by the
39 Indiana state board of education;
40 (3) must be provided to a member of the board if a member
41 requests the school safety plan;
42 (4) must be available for inspection by the department of
2025 IN 1398—LS 6754/DI 143 9
1 education's division of school building physical security and
2 safety (as established by IC 20-19-3-14); office of school safety;
3 (5) must be provided to the law enforcement agency and the fire
4 department that have jurisdiction over the school corporation or
5 charter school;
6 (6) must include an attestation that:
7 (A) a copy of the floor plans for each building located on the
8 school's property were provided to the law enforcement agency
9 and the fire department that have jurisdiction over the school
10 corporation or charter school that clearly indicates each
11 entrance and exit, the interior rooms and hallways, and the
12 location of any hazardous materials located in the building; or
13 (B) the school corporation or charter school has conducted
14 critical incidence digital mapping for each school building
15 within the school corporation or the buildings that are operated
16 by a charter school, including providing the critical incidence
17 digital mapping information to:
18 (i) the law enforcement agency and fire department that
19 have jurisdiction over the mapped school buildings; and
20 (ii) the statewide 911 system described in IC 36-8-16.7-22
21 through the public safety answer point, or "PSAP",
22 described in IC 36-8-16.7-20 that has jurisdiction over the
23 mapped school buildings; and
24 (7) must be filed with the county school safety commission under
25 section 12 of this chapter having jurisdiction over the school
26 corporation or charter school.
27 (d) For purposes of IC 5-14-3, the entities specified in subsection (c)
28 that receive information under this section shall keep the information
29 compiled and retained under this section confidential and shall
30 withhold the information from public disclosure.
31 SECTION 5. IC 10-21-1-12, AS AMENDED BY P.L.148-2024,
32 SECTION 7, IS AMENDED TO READ AS FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE
33 JULY 1, 2025]: Sec. 12. (a) Not later than December 31, 2023, a
34 county shall establish a county school safety commission. Unless
35 otherwise specified in subsection (b)(1) through (b)(11), the members
36 described in subsection (b) are appointed by the school corporation
37 having the largest ADM (as defined in IC 20-18-2-2), as determined in
38 the fall count of ADM in the school year ending in the current calendar
39 year.
40 (b) The members of the commission are as follows:
41 (1) A school safety specialist for each school corporation located
42 in whole or in part in the county.
2025 IN 1398—LS 6754/DI 143 10
1 (2) The judge of the court having juvenile jurisdiction in the
2 county or the judge's designee.
3 (3) The sheriff of the county or the sheriff's designee.
4 (4) The chief officer of every other law enforcement agency in the
5 county, or the chief officer's designee.
6 (5) A representative of the juvenile probation system, appointed
7 by the judge described in subdivision (2).
8 (6) Representatives of community agencies that work with
9 children within the county.
10 (7) A representative of the Indiana state police district that serves
11 the county, appointed by the Indiana state police.
12 (8) A prosecuting attorney or deputy prosecuting attorney who
13 specializes in the prosecution of juveniles, appointed by the
14 prosecuting attorney.
15 (9) A school safety specialist of a charter school representing the
16 interests and viewpoints of charter schools within the
17 commission's jurisdiction if at least one (1) charter school within
18 the commission's jurisdiction requests to participate.
19 (10) A school safety specialist of an accredited nonpublic school
20 representing the interests and viewpoints of accredited nonpublic
21 schools within the commission's jurisdiction if at least one (1)
22 accredited nonpublic school requests to participate.
23 (11) Other appropriate individuals selected by the commission.
24 (c) Once a commission is established, the school safety specialist of
25 the school corporation having the largest ADM (as defined in
26 IC 20-18-2-2), as determined in the fall count of ADM in the school
27 year ending in the current calendar year, in the county shall convene
28 the initial meeting of the commission.
29 (d) The members shall annually elect a chairperson.
30 (e) A commission shall perform the following duties:
31 (1) Periodically perform a cumulative analysis of school safety
32 needs within the county.
33 (2) Coordinate and make recommendations for the following:
34 (A) Prevention of juvenile offenses and improving the
35 reporting of juvenile offenses within the schools.
36 (B) Proposals for identifying and assessing children who are
37 at high risk of experiencing a mental health or behavioral
38 health crisis or becoming juvenile offenders.
39 (C) Methods to meet the educational needs of children who
40 have been detained as juvenile offenders.
41 (D) Methods to improve communications among agencies that
42 work with children.
2025 IN 1398—LS 6754/DI 143 11
1 (E) Methods to improve school security and emergency
2 preparedness.
3 (F) Additional equipment or personnel that are necessary to
4 carry out school safety plans.
5 (G) Pooling resources, combining purchases, using shared
6 administrative services, or collaborating among participating
7 school corporations, school corporation career and technical
8 education schools described in IC 20-37-1-1, and charter
9 schools to improve the maintenance of safe schools.
10 (H) Implementing best practices and procedures to use critical
11 incidence digital mapping in the event of an emergency within
12 the county.
13 (I) Any other topic the commission considers necessary to
14 improve school safety within the commission's jurisdiction.
15 (3) Provide assistance to school safety specialists and school
16 resource officers within the commission's jurisdiction in
17 developing and:
18 (A) implementing school safety plans; and
19 (B) requesting grants from the fund.
20 (4) Assist accredited nonpublic schools within the commission's
21 jurisdiction that voluntarily submit a school safety plan or a local
22 school safety and emergency plan (described in IC 20-34-3-23) to
23 the commission seeking assistance in carrying out the school
24 safety plan.
25 (f) The affirmative votes of a majority of the voting members of the
26 commission are required for the commission to take action on a
27 measure.
28 (g) A commission shall receive the school safety plans for the
29 school corporations and charter schools located in the county.
30 (h) A commission may receive from an accredited nonpublic school
31 within the commission's jurisdiction a school safety plan or a local
32 school safety and emergency plan described in IC 20-34-3-23.
33 (i) The commission shall keep the school safety plans compiled and
34 retained under this section confidential and shall withhold the
35 information from public disclosure.
36 (j) The commission may share the school safety plans under
37 subsections (g) and (h) with law enforcement and first responder
38 agencies that have jurisdiction over the school corporation, charter
39 school, or accredited nonpublic school. For the purposes of IC 5-14-3,
40 the entities receiving a school safety plan under this subsection shall
41 keep information compiled and retained under subsections (g) and (h)
42 confidential and shall withhold the information from public disclosure.
2025 IN 1398—LS 6754/DI 143 12
1 (k) A commission shall annually submit to the board office of
2 school safety on a date established by the board: office:
3 (1) meeting minutes;
4 (2) any meeting agenda materials directly related to taking action
5 on a measure under this section; and
6 (3) a brief annual summary of its activities and accomplishments.
7 SECTION 6. IC 10-21-1-13, AS ADDED BY P.L.150-2023,
8 SECTION 14, IS AMENDED TO READ AS FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE
9 JULY 1, 2025]: Sec. 13. (a) The school safety specialist training and
10 certification program is established.
11 (b) The school safety specialist training and certification program
12 shall provide:
13 (1) annual training sessions, which may be conducted through
14 distance learning or at regional centers; and
15 (2) information concerning best practices and available resources;
16 for school safety specialists and county school safety commissions.
17 (c) The department of education, office of school safety, in
18 consultation with the board, shall do the following:
19 (1) Assemble an advisory group of school safety specialists from
20 around the state to make recommendations concerning the
21 curriculum and standards for school safety specialist training.
22 (2) Develop an appropriate curriculum and the standards for the
23 school safety specialist training and certification program. The
24 department of education office of school safety may consult with
25 national school safety experts in developing the curriculum and
26 standards. The curriculum developed under this subdivision must
27 include training in:
28 (A) identifying, preventing, and intervening in bullying and
29 cyberbullying;
30 (B) identifying, preventing, and intervening in criminal
31 organization activity;
32 (C) identifying, preventing, and intervening in actions by a
33 person who is present on school property with the intent to
34 harm another person;
35 (D) developing and implementing a school safety plan in
36 accordance with this chapter;
37 (E) using a county school safety commission to improve
38 school safety and emergency preparedness; and
39 (F) using safe school committees to improve safety and
40 emergency preparedness for each school building.
41 (3) Administer the school safety specialist training and
42 certification program, including the following duties:
2025 IN 1398—LS 6754/DI 143 13
1 (A) Establish a school safety specialist certificate for
2 candidates eligible under section 9 of this chapter who have
3 successfully completed the training program.
4 (B) Review the qualifications of each candidate, determine
5 their eligibility for certification, and present a certificate to
6 each school safety specialist eligible for certification.
7 SECTION 7. IC 10-21-1-14, AS AMENDED BY P.L.135-2024,
8 SECTION 2, IS AMENDED TO READ AS FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE
9 JULY 1, 2025]: Sec. 14. (a) Each school operated by a school
10 corporation shall establish a safe school committee. The committee
11 may be a subcommittee of the committee that develops the strategic
12 and continuous school improvement and achievement plan under
13 IC 20-31-5. Each committee may include at least one (1) member who
14 is a member of the support staff of the school or school corporation
15 career and technical education school.
16 (b) Each school operated by a charter school shall establish a safe
17 school committee. A charter school in operation on July 1, 2023, shall
18 comply with this subsection not later than July 1, 2024.
19 (c) The safe school committee shall actively participate in and assist
20 with the development of the school safety plan.
21 (d) The department of education, office of school safety, the school
22 corporation's or charter school's school safety specialist or specialists,
23 and a school resource officer, if one (1) is employed by the school
24 corporation or charter school, shall provide materials and guidelines to
25 assist a safe school committee in developing a policy for a particular
26 school that addresses the following issues:
27 (1) Implementation of the school safety plan.
28 (2) Addressing outside and internal threats to the physical safety
29 of students, faculty, staff, and the public, including unsafe
30 conditions, crime prevention, school violence, bullying and
31 cyberbullying, criminal organization activity, child abuse and
32 child sexual abuse, mental health and behavioral health, suicide
33 awareness and prevention, violence prevention and training,
34 situational awareness, and other issues that prevent the
35 maintenance of a safe school.
36 (3) Addressing the professional development needs for faculty
37 and staff to implement methods that decrease problems identified
38 under subdivision (2).
39 (4) Identifying and implementing methods to encourage:
40 (A) involvement by the community, families, and students;
41 (B) development of relationships between students and school
42 faculty and staff; and
2025 IN 1398—LS 6754/DI 143 14
1 (C) use of problem solving teams.
2 (5) Consideration of the effect of armed intruder drills on the
3 safety and mental health of students, faculty, and staff.
4 (e) The guidelines developed under subsection (d) must include age
5 appropriate, trauma informed, evidence based information (as defined
6 in 34 U.S.C. 10554(4)) that assists school corporations or charter
7 schools and safe school committees in:
8 (1) developing and implementing bullying and cyberbullying
9 prevention programs;
10 (2) establishing investigation and reporting procedures related to
11 bullying and cyberbullying; and
12 (3) adopting discipline rules that comply with IC 20-33-8-13.5.
13 (f) In addition to developing guidelines under subsection (d), the
14 office of school safety, in conjunction with the department of
15 education, shall establish categories of types of bullying incidents to
16 allow school corporations to use the categories in making reports under
17 IC 20-20-8-8 (before its repeal) and IC 20-34-6-1.
18 (g) The materials and guidelines provided under subsection (d) must
19 include the model educational materials and model response policies
20 and reporting procedures on child abuse and child sexual abuse
21 developed or identified under IC 20-19-3-11.
22 SECTION 8. IC 10-21-1-15, AS ADDED BY P.L.150-2023,
23 SECTION 16, IS AMENDED TO READ AS FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE
24 JULY 1, 2025]: Sec. 15. An accredited nonpublic school may do one
25 (1) or more of the following:
26 (1) Designate one (1) or more individuals to obtain school safety
27 specialist certification under section 13 of this chapter to perform
28 school safety specialist duties under this chapter.
29 (2) Establish a school safety plan in accordance with section 10
30 of this chapter.
31 (3) Establish a safe school committee.
32 (4) Submit a school safety plan to the county school safety
33 commission having jurisdiction over the accredited nonpublic
34 school.
35 (5) Request to join the county school safety commission having
36 jurisdiction over the accredited nonpublic school or be
37 represented by another accredited nonpublic school's school
38 safety specialist on the same commission.
39 (6) Request general guidance relating to school safety matters
40 from one (1) or more of the following:
41 (A) The board. office of school safety.
42 (B) The department of education.
2025 IN 1398—LS 6754/DI 143 15
1 (C) The department of homeland security.
2 (D) (C) The county school safety commission having
3 jurisdiction over the accredited nonpublic school.
4 SECTION 9. IC 10-21-1-17 IS ADDED TO THE INDIANA CODE
5 AS A NEW SECTION TO READ AS FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE JULY
6 1, 2025]: Sec. 17. (a) As used in this section, "multi-disciplinary
7 threat assessment team" means a group of individuals with
8 expertise in school physical security, school administration,
9 educational instruction, youth counseling, mental health and
10 behavioral health, and law enforcement.
11 (b) A multi-disciplinary threat assessment team must do the
12 following:
13 (1) Be comprised of at least:
14 (A) a school safety specialist or an individual designated by
15 the school safety committee;
16 (B) a member of a safe school committee;
17 (C) a school building level administrator;
18 (D) a school resource officer, if one (1) is either employed
19 by or assigned to the school corporation or charter school;
20 (E) an individual with expertise in special education; and
21 (F) a school counselor or social worker.
22 (2) Conduct multi-disciplinary threat assessments that:
23 (A) provide guidance to students, faculty, and staff
24 regarding the recognition of threatening or aberrant
25 behavior that may represent a threat to the community,
26 school, or self;
27 (B) identify members of the school community to whom
28 threatening behavior should be reported;
29 (C) establish procedures to assess, identify, and intervene
30 with individuals whose behavior may pose a threat to the
31 safety of school students, families, faculty, and staff;
32 (D) establish procedures to rapidly review the immediacy
33 of a reported threat or threatening behavior to determine
34 an appropriate school response, including mental health
35 and law enforcement intervention as necessary; and
36 (E) inform the adoption, implementation, and updating of
37 policies adopted by the school corporation or charter
38 school, including school safety plans and the policies of a
39 safe school committee for a particular school.
40 (c) A multi-disciplinary threat assessment team may serve one
41 (1) or more schools.
42 (d) A multi-disciplinary threat assessment team that receives a
2025 IN 1398—LS 6754/DI 143 16
1 report of a threat or threatening behavior must make a
2 determination concerning the immediacy of the threat or
3 threatening behavior without delay.
4 (e) A multi-disciplinary threat assessment team that determines
5 that a threat or threatening behavior is an immediate threat under
6 subsection (d) must report that determination to the
7 superintendent, or the superintendent's designee, without delay.
8 (f) A superintendent, or a superintendent's designee, who
9 receives a report described in subsection (e) must immediately
10 attempt to notify the parent of the student who engaged in the
11 threat or threatening behavior. Nothing in this subsection
12 precludes school corporation personnel from acting immediately
13 to address an imminent threat.
14 SECTION 10. IC 10-21-1.5-4, AS ADDED BY P.L.27-2016,
15 SECTION 1, IS AMENDED TO READ AS FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE
16 JULY 1, 2025]: Sec. 4. Not later than July 1, 2017, the department
17 shall establish and maintain guidelines for emergency response
18 systems. The department shall establish emergency response system
19 guidelines with input from the division of school building physical
20 security and safety (established by IC 20-19-3-14). office of school
21 safety (established by IC 10-21-1-1.5).
22 SECTION 11. IC 20-19-3-14 IS REPEALED [EFFECTIVE JULY
23 1, 2025]. Sec. 14. (a) As used in this section, "division" refers to the
24 division of school building physical security and safety established by
25 subsection (c).
26 (b) As used in this section, "physical security" refers to security
27 measures that are designed to deny unauthorized access to a building
28 or facility, including equipment and resources, and to protect
29 individuals and property from damage or harm.
30 (c) The division of school building physical security and safety is
31 established within the department.
32 (d) The division shall:
33 (1) establish and maintain guidelines for using professional
34 architectural and engineering services to integrate physical
35 security improvements and safety practices in the construction,
36 renovation, repair, or alteration of a school facility;
37 (2) carry out the department's responsibilities with regards to the
38 school safety specialist training and certification program
39 established in IC 10-21-1-13;
40 (3) establish and maintain guidelines for establishing emergency
41 response protocols in cooperation with other state agencies;
42 (4) carry out the department's responsibilities to safe school
2025 IN 1398—LS 6754/DI 143 17
1 committees under IC 10-21-1-14;
2 (5) coordinate the department's response and recovery assistance
3 to a school in the event of a manmade or natural disaster;
4 (6) provide information and guidance to assist school corporations
5 or schools to establish mutual aid disaster assistance agreements
6 with other schools or school corporations;
7 (7) study and collect information to integrate lessons learned from
8 previous school disasters throughout the country into the
9 curriculum of the school safety specialist training and certification
10 program established in IC 10-21-1-13 and guidelines established
11 by the division under this subsection;
12 (8) establish and maintain guidelines, in consultation with the
13 department of homeland security and institute for criminal justice,
14 for developing and maintaining school safety plans as described
15 in IC 10-21-1-10 and IC 10-21-1-11; and
16 (9) assist the secured school safety board established by
17 IC 10-21-1-3 in conducting the review and submitting the report
18 as described in IC 10-21-1-8.
19 (e) The division may:
20 (1) request a meeting with a school corporation or charter school
21 to review a school safety plan as described in IC 10-21-1-10;
22 (2) request to provide an onsite safety review for a school
23 corporation or charter school;
24 (3) request to provide guidance or assistance relating to school
25 safety matters to a school corporation or charter school;
26 (4) provide assistance or guidance relating to school safety
27 matters upon request by a nonpublic school that has voluntarily
28 become accredited under IC 20-31-4.1 or is accredited by a
29 national or regional accrediting agency that is recognized by the
30 state board; and
31 (5) provide assistance or guidance relating to school safety
32 matters upon request by a county school safety commission under
33 IC 10-21-1-12.
34 (f) The division shall maintain a secure Internet web site to provide
35 school officials and public safety officials access to information that is
36 considered classified under IC 5-14-3-4(b)(1), IC 5-14-3-4(b)(18), and
37 IC 5-14-3-4(b)(19) or other sensitive information that may assist school
38 officials and public safety officials in improving school safety or
39 responding to a manmade or natural disaster.
40 (g) The division shall maintain a public website that contains:
41 (1) the guidelines established by the division under subsection
42 (d);
2025 IN 1398—LS 6754/DI 143 18
1 (2) best practices pertaining to school safety; and
2 (3) any other information the division determines may be
3 necessary to carry out the division's duties or responsibilities
4 under this section.
2025 IN 1398—LS 6754/DI 143