Session of 2024
HOUSE BILL No. 2494
By Committee on Education
Requested by Rep. Thomas
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AN ACT concerning school districts; relating to school security and
emergency response policies; establishing requirements for school
safety and security plans and cardiac emergency response plans;
creating the school safety and security grant fund and the school
cardiac emergency response grant fund.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Kansas:
Section 1. (a) The state board of education shall develop and adopt
statewide standards for school safety and security plans and cardiac
emergency response plans. In developing such standards, the state board of
education shall consult with the office of the adjutant general, the Kansas
bureau of investigation, the department of health and environment, the
state fire marshal and any other state agencies, municipal agencies and
school boards as the state board deems necessary.
(b) The standards developed by the state board of education shall
include, but shall not be limited to:
(1) Evaluation of the infrastructure of school buildings and
attendance centers for compliance with standards adopted under
subsections (e) and (f);
(2) training of school district employees on school safety and security
policies and procedures and cardiac emergency response policies and
procedures;
(3) conducting student drills on emergency situations;
(4) procedures for making notifications to individuals located outside
of the school building during emergency situations and maintaining
communication with law enforcement agencies, emergency management
agencies, emergency medical services and other necessary individuals;
(5) procedures for securing school buildings during an emergency
situation;
(6) procedures for emergency evacuation of school buildings,
including evacuation routes and sites;
(7) procedures for recovery after an emergency situation ceases;
(8) coordination and incorporation of school safety and security plans
and cardiac emergency response plans within existing school district
emergency response plans;
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(9) distribution of school safety and security plans and cardiac
emergency response plans to local law enforcement agencies and
emergency management agencies;
(10) procedures for ensuring accountability in adopting and
implementing school safety and security plans and cardiac emergency
response plans in accordance with the statewide standards adopted by the
state board; and
(11) any other policies and procedures the state board deems
necessary for school safety and security plans or cardiac emergency
response plans.
(c) As part of such standards, the state board shall identify roles and
responsibilities for implementing school safety and security plans and
cardiac emergency response plans at the school district and school building
levels, including, but not limited to, the role of local law enforcement
agencies and local emergency management agencies when partnering with
school districts in the development and implementation of such plans.
(d) The state board may consider and utilize any materials,
documentation or videos that are available through the United States
department of homeland security in developing standards for school safety
and security plans, and any such resources that are available through the
United States department of health and human services, the American
heart association or any other nationally recognized, guidelines-based
organization focused on emergency cardiovascular care in developing
standards for cardiac emergency response plans.
(e) The statewide standards for school safety and security plans shall
address, but shall not be limited to:
(1) The infrastructure of school buildings and attendance centers
operated by school districts, including, but not limited to, secured
entrances, windows and other facets of the structural integrity of such
buildings;
(2) security technology to be utilized in such buildings, including, but
not limited to, intrusion detection systems and security cameras;
(3) communications systems, including, but not limited to, systems
for interoperability between the school district and law enforcement
agencies; and
(4) any other systems or facilities the state board deems necessary for
the safety and security of such buildings.
(f) The statewide standards for cardiac emergency response plans
shall address, but shall not be limited to:
(1) The appropriate use of school personnel to respond to incidents
involving an individual experiencing suspected sudden cardiac arrest while
on school grounds, including incidents involving an individual attending
or participating in an athletic practice or event, whether such practice or
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event is conducted on school grounds or at a separate location;
(2) establishing a cardiac emergency response team;
(3) implementing placement of automated external defibrillators and
routine maintenance of such devices within school buildings, including
appropriate placement in accordance with guidelines established by the
American heart association or any nationally recognized, guidelines-based
organization focused on emergency cardiovascular care;
(4) identifying the location of each automated external defibrillator;
(5) training of school personnel in the use of automated external
defibrillators and cardiopulmonary resuscitation during an emergency in
accordance with guidelines established by the American heart association
or any nationally recognized, guidelines-based organization focused on
emergency cardiovascular care;
(6) communications systems with local emergency medical services;
and
(7) developing an event-specific emergency action plan for each
school-sanctioned event held at a location separate from school grounds
that includes:
(A) The roles of school and emergency medical services personnel,
communications systems and available emergency equipment, including a
portable automated external defibrillator; and
(B) access to and plan for emergency transport.
(g) The state board shall regularly review and update the standards
for school safety and security plans and cardiac emergency response plans.
Any changes to such standards shall be provided to each school district by
written notification upon adoption by the state board.
(h) The state board shall provide notice of the adopted standards to
those state agencies with whom the state board consulted in developing
such standards. To the extent such standards contain emergency or security
information or procedures, the state board shall maintain the
confidentiality of such standards when sending notices pursuant to this
subsection.
Sec. 2. (a) The board of education of each school district shall adopt a
comprehensive school safety and security plan based on the statewide
standards adopted by the state board of education under section 1, and
amendments thereto. Prior to the adoption of a school safety and security
plan, each school district shall consult with one or more local law
enforcement agencies and local emergency management agencies to
review and evaluate:
(1) Existing infrastructure of school buildings and attendance centers
operated by such school district; and
(2) current school district safety and security policies and procedures.
The local law enforcement agencies and emergency management
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agencies may provide guidance on improving a school district's building
infrastructure or safety and security polices and procedures. The review
and evaluation, and any guidance provided, shall be done in accordance
with the standards adopted by the state board under section 1, and
amendments thereto. Upon adoption of a school safety and security plan,
the superintendent of the school district shall send a copy of such plan to
each local law enforcement agency and emergency management agency
with whom the school district consulted, and to the state board of
education.
(b) (1) The board of education of each school district shall adopt a
comprehensive cardiac emergency response plan based on the statewide
standards adopted by the state board of education under section 1, and
amendments thereto.
(2) Upon adoption, the cardiac emergency response plan shall be:
(A) Provided to appropriate local law enforcement and emergency
medical services and all school personnel;
(B) reviewed by a school administrator with all school personnel
prior to the first instructional day of each school year. The time and date of
such review shall be documented as part of the plan; and
(C) reviewed at the end of each school year by the school building
administrators, school nurses and appropriate local law enforcement and
emergency medical services.
(3) The cardiac emergency response plan shall be rehearsed by
simulation within 30 days prior to the beginning of each athletic season by
all athletic directors, school nurses and all coaches, assistant coaches and
athletic trainers who are coaching or otherwise participating in such
athletic season.
(4) Each athletic coach shall obtain a cardiopulmonary resuscitation
certification or training recognized by a national accrediting body on heart
health. At least one individual with such certification or training shall be in
attendance at every interscholastic athletic practice and competition.
Courses for such certification or training shall:
(A) Be reviewed at least once every 30 months and revised if needed;
(B) be completed through hands-on or online teaching methods in 10
hours or less; and
(C) include an end-of-course examination with a minimum qualifying
score for successful course completion established by the board of
education or the entity conducting such training.
Sec. 3. (a) There is hereby established the school safety and security
grant program to be administered by the state board of education. Each
school district may submit an application to the state board of education in
such form and manner as prescribed by the state board for an amount of
grant moneys needed by such school district to implement such district's
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school safety and security plan adopted pursuant to section 2, and
amendments thereto. Each grant application shall include a copy of the
current school district safety and security plan, including all policies and
procedures adopted for the implementation of such plan, and a description
of the school safety and security improvements the district determines
necessary for such implementation. The state board shall review all
submitted applications and approve or deny such applications based on
whether the applicant school district has demonstrated the necessity for the
school safety and security improvements described in the application. As
part of its review, the state board may conduct a hearing and provide the
applicant school district an opportunity to present testimony as to the
necessity of such school safety and security improvements. If the state
board approves an application, it shall determine the amount of moneys to
be disbursed to the applicant school district from the school safety and
security grant fund. If the state board denies an application, then, within 15
days of such denial, the state board shall send written notice of such denial
to the superintendent of such school district.
(b) All administrative proceedings pursuant to this section shall be
conducted in accordance with the provisions of the Kansas administrative
procedure act. Any action by the state board of education pursuant to this
section shall be subject to review in accordance with the Kansas judicial
review act.
(c) There is hereby established in the state treasury the school safety
and security grant fund to be administered by the department of education.
All expenditures from the school safety and security grant fund shall be
used for the disbursement of grant moneys for school safety and security
improvements in accordance with this section and shall be made in
accordance with appropriation acts upon warrants of the director of
accounts and reports issued pursuant to vouchers approved by the
commissioner of education or the commissioner's designee. Upon receipt
of such grant moneys, the school district treasurer shall deposit the amount
of such award in the general fund of the school district.
Sec. 4. (a) There is hereby established the school cardiac emergency
response grant program to be administered by the department of health and
environment. Each school district may submit an application to the
secretary of health and environment in such form and manner as
prescribed by the secretary for an amount of grant moneys needed by such
school district to implement such district's cardiac emergency response
plan adopted pursuant to section 2, and amendments thereto. Each grant
application shall include a copy of the current school district cardiac
emergency response plan, including all policies and procedures adopted
for the implementation of such plan, and a description of the school
improvements the district determines necessary for such implementation.
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The secretary shall review all submitted applications and approve or deny
such applications based on whether the applicant school district has
demonstrated the necessity of the school improvements described in the
application. As part of such review, the secretary may conduct a hearing
and provide the applicant school district an opportunity to present
testimony as to the necessity of such school improvements. If the secretary
approves an application, the secretary shall determine the amount of
moneys to be disbursed to the applicant school district from the school
cardiac emergency response grant fund. If the secretary denies an
application, then, within 15 days of such denial, the secretary shall send
written notice of such denial to the superintendent of such school district.
(b) All administrative proceedings pursuant to this section shall be
conducted in accordance with the provisions of the Kansas administrative
procedure act. Any action by the secretary of health and environment
pursuant to this section shall be subject to review in accordance with the
Kansas judicial review act.
(c) There is hereby established in the state treasury the school cardiac
emergency response grant fund to be administered by the department of
health and environment. All expenditures from the school cardiac
emergency response grant fund shall be used for the disbursement of grant
moneys for school improvements in accordance with this section and shall
be made in accordance with appropriation acts upon warrants of the
director of accounts and reports issued pursuant to vouchers approved by
the secretary of health and environment or the secretary's designee. Upon
receipt of such grant moneys, the school district treasurer shall deposit the
amount of such award in the general fund of the school district.
Sec. 5. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its
publication in the statute book.
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