SLS 23RS-307 ORIGINAL
2023 Regular Session
SENATE BILL NO. 158
BY SENATOR LAMBERT
Prefiled pursuant to Article III, Section 2(A)(4)(b)(i) of the Constitution of Louisiana.
WEAPONS. Provides for the protection of schools. (gov sig)
1 AN ACT
2 To enact R.S. 14:95(A)(4)(b)(iv) and R.S. 17:416.16.1, relative to the illegal carrying of
3 weapons; to exempt certain persons from the crime of illegal carrying of weapons;
4 to provide relative to concealed handgun permits; to authorize certain persons to be
5 designated as school protection officers; to provide for training and requirements for
6 school protection officers; to provide for the duties and responsibilities of school
7 protection officers; to provide for continuous certification; to provide for revocation
8 of the school protection officer designation; and to provide for related matters.
9 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
10 Section 1. R.S. 14:95(A)(4)(b)(iv) is hereby enacted to read as follows:
11 §95. Illegal carrying of weapons
12 A. Illegal carrying of weapons is any of the following:
13 * * *
14 (4) * * *
15 (b) The provisions of this Paragraph shall not apply to:
16 * * *
17 (iv) Any person designated as a school protection officer pursuant to R.S.
Page 1 of 4
Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 158
SLS 23RS-307 ORIGINAL
1 17:416.16.1.
2 * * *
3 Section 2. R.S. 17:416.16.1 is hereby enacted to read as follows:
4 §416.16.1. School Protection Officers
5 A. Any school district within the state may designate one or more
6 persons as a school protection officer.
7 B. Any person designated by a school district as a school protection
8 officer shall be authorized to carry concealed firearms in any school in the
9 district. The school protection officer shall not allow any firearm out of his
10 personal control while that firearm is on school property. Any school protection
11 officer who violates this Subsection shall be removed immediately from the
12 campus and may be subject to employment termination proceedings.
13 C. Any person who seeks to be designated as a school protection officer
14 shall request the designation in writing and submit it to the superintendent of
15 the school district of the school for which he is requesting the designation. In
16 addition to this request, any person seeking to carry a concealed firearm on
17 school property shall also submit proof that he has a valid concealed handgun
18 permit issued pursuant to R.S. 40:1379.3. No school district may allow a school
19 protection officer to carry a concealed firearm on school property unless the
20 school protection officer has a valid concealed handgun permit and complies
21 with the requirements of this Section.
22 D. All persons seeking the designation of school protection officer shall
23 submit a certificate of completion from a training program approved by the
24 Department of Public Safety and Corrections, office of state police, which
25 demonstrates that the person has successfully completed the minimum training
26 requirements for peace officers established by the Council on Peace Officer
27 Standards and Training pursuant to R.S. 40:2404.2(A). No school district may
28 designate a person as a school protection officer unless that person has
29 successfully completed the P.O.S.T. training program.
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Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 158
SLS 23RS-307 ORIGINAL
1 E.(1) Any school district that designates a person as a school protection
2 officer shall, within thirty days, notify in writing the superintendent of state
3 police of the designation, which notification shall include the following:
4 (a) The full name, date of birth, and address of the school protection
5 officer.
6 (b) The name of the school district.
7 (c) The date the person was designated as a school protection officer.
8 (2) Notwithstanding any other provisions of law to the contrary, any
9 identifying information collected under the authority of this Subsection shall not
10 be considered public information and shall not be subject to a request for public
11 records.
12 F. Any person designated as a school protection officer shall annually
13 provide proof of a valid concealed handgun permit and shall maintain
14 continuous Peace Officer Standards and Training certification, proof of which
15 shall be provided to the superintendent of the school district in which the school
16 protection officer is employed.
17 G. A school district may revoke the designation of a person as a school
18 protection officer for any reason and shall immediately notify the designated
19 school protection officer in writing of the revocation. The school district shall
20 also within fifteen days of revocation notify the superintendent of state police
21 in writing of the revocation of the designation of the person as a school
22 protection officer. A person who has had the designation of school protection
23 officer revoked has the right to appeal the revocation decision to the
24 superintendent of state police, who has final authority.
25 H. The superintendent of state police shall maintain a list of all persons
26 designated by school districts as school protection officers and shall make this
27 list available to all law enforcement agencies.
Page 3 of 4
Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 158
SLS 23RS-307 ORIGINAL
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Whitney Kauffeld.
DIGEST
SB 158 Original 2023 Regular Session Lambert
Proposed law authorizes school districts within the state to designate one or more persons
as a school protection officer.
Proposed law provides that once designated, school protection officers are authorized to
carry a concealed firearm in any school in the district.
Proposed law requires school protection officers to maintain personal control of the firearm
while that firearm is on school property and provides that failure to do so will subject the
school protection officer to discipline.
Proposed law requires that the request to be a school protection officer must include proof
that the person has a valid concealed handgun permit and a certificate showing completion
of the minimum Peace Officer Standards and Training (P.O.S.T.) training required to be a
peace officer.
Proposed law requires a person designated as a school protection officer to annually provide
proof of a valid concealed handgun permit and must maintain continuous P.O.S.T.
certification.
Proposed law requires school districts to notify the superintendent of state police of every
school protection officer designated and further requires state police to maintain a list of all
school protection officers that will be made available to all law enforcement agencies.
Effective upon signature of the governor or lapse of time for gubernatorial action.
(Adds R.S. 14:95(A)(4)(b)(iv) and R.S. 17:416.16.1)
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Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions.