EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb1167*
HOUSE BILL 1167
E4, F5 4lr2035
CF SB 1090
By: Delegate Foley
Introduced and read first time: February 7, 2024
Assigned to: Ways and Means and Appropriations
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Maryland Center for School Safety – Statewide Secure Schools Emergency 2
Response Program – Established 3
FOR the purpose of establishing the Statewide Secure Schools Emergency Response 4
Program to be administered by the Maryland Center for School Safety to improve 5
the safety and security of public schools in the State by implementing a certain 6
emergency notification system; and generally relating to the establishment of the 7
Statewide Secure Schools Emergency Response Program. 8
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 9
Article – Education 10
Section 7–1502(a) 11
Annotated Code of Maryland 12
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2023 Supplement) 13
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 14
Article – Education 15
Section 7–1502(g)(20) and (21) 16
Annotated Code of Maryland 17
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2023 Supplement) 18
BY adding to 19
Article – Education 20
Section 7–1502(g)(22) and 7–1513 21
Annotated Code of Maryland 22
(2022 Replacement Volume 2023 Supplement) 23
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 24
Article – Public Safety 25
Section 1–301(a), (j), (t), and (u) 26
Annotated Code of Maryland 27 2 HOUSE BILL 1167
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2023 Supplement) 1
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 2
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 3
Article – Education 4
7–1502. 5
(a) There is a Maryland Center for School Safety. 6
(g) The Center shall perform the following functions and duties: 7
(20) Review and comment on school emergency plans developed under § 8
7–1510 of this subtitle; [and] 9
(21) Report to the General Assembly and the Governor on life–threatening 10
incidents as required under § 7–1510 of this subtitle; AND 11
(22) ADMINISTER THE STATEWIDE SECURE SCHOOLS EMERGENCY 12
RESPONSE PROGRAM UNDER § 7–1513 OF THIS SUBTITLE . 13
7–1513. 14
(A) (1) IN THIS SECTION THE F OLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 15
INDICATED. 16
(2) “FIRST RESPONDER ” HAS THE MEANING STAT ED IN § 1–301 OF 17
THE PUBLIC SAFETY ARTICLE. 18
(3) “PANIC BUTTON EVENT ” MEANS AN EMERGENCY S ITUATION THAT 19
COMPELS THE USER OF AN EMERGENCY NOTIFICATI ON SYSTEM TO PRESS A PANIC 20
BUTTON TO INSTANTLY SUMMON HELP TO THEIR LOCATION FROM FIRST 21
RESPONDERS OR OTHER PUBLIC SAFETY AGENCY PERSONNEL . 22
(4) “PROGRAM” MEANS THE STATEWIDE SECURE SCHOOLS 23
EMERGENCY RESPONSE PROGRAM. 24
(5) “PUBLIC SAFETY AGENCY ” HAS THE MEANING STAT ED IN § 1–301 25
OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY ARTICLE. 26
(6) “PUBLIC SAFETY ANSWERI NG POINT” HAS THE MEANING STAT ED 27
IN § 1–301 OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY ARTICLE. 28
HOUSE BILL 1167 3
(B) (1) THERE IS A STATEWIDE SECURE SCHOOLS EMERGENCY 1
RESPONSE PROGRAM ADMINISTERED BY THE CENTER. 2
(2) THE PURPOSE OF THE PROGRAM IS TO IMPROVE THE SAFETY AND 3
SECURITY OF PUBLIC S CHOOLS IN THE STATE BY IMPLEMENTING A STATEWIDE 4
EMERGENCY NOTIFICATI ON SYSTEM THAT FACIL ITATES COMMUNICATION BETWEEN 5
PUBLIC ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOL PER SONNEL, A PUBLIC SAFETY 6
ANSWERING POINT , AND A PUBLIC SAFETY AGENCY IN LIFE –THREATENING AND 7
EMERGENCY SITUATIONS , INCLUDING MEDICAL EMERGENCIES AND THE PRESENCE 8
OF AN ACTIVE SHOOTER OR INTRUDER AT A PUBLIC SCHOOL . 9
(C) THE PROGRAM SHALL PROCURE AND IMPLEMENT AN EME RGENCY 10
COMMUNICATION PLATFO RM FOR A SECURE SCHOOLS EMERGENCY RESPONSE 11
PROGRAM THROUGH WHICH ALL SCHOOL FACULTY A ND STAFF ARE ABLE TO ALERT 12
A PUBLIC SAFETY ANSW ERING POINT TO REPOR T A LIFE–THREATENING OR AN 13
EMERGENCY SITUATION . 14
(D) THE COMMUNICATION PLA TFORM REQUIRED UNDER SUBSECTION (C) 15
OF THIS SECTION SHAL L INCLUDE THE FOLLOW ING: 16
(1) A CELLULAR PHONE APPLI CATION–BASED PANIC BUTTON E VENT 17
SYSTEM THAT: 18
(I) CAN BE INTEGRATED WIT H A LOCAL PUBLIC SAFETY 19
ANSWERING POINT ; AND 20
(II) IS ABLE TO: 21
1. PLACE A STANDARD TELE PHONE CALL TO 9–1–1; 22
2. TEXT COMMUNICATIONS B ETWEEN AUTHORIZED 23
USERS AND A PUBLIC S AFETY ANSWERING POIN T AND PUBLIC SAFETY AGENCY; 24
3. PROVIDE TEXT MESSAGES , E–MAILS, AND PUSH 25
NOTIFICATIONS TO AUT HORIZED USERS , INCLUDING SCHOOL PER SONNEL, FIRST 26
RESPONDERS , AND OTHER PUBLIC SAF ETY AGENCY PERSONNEL ; AND 27
4. AUTOMATICALLY TRANSMI T SCHOOL FLOOR PLANS , 28
SCHOOL EMERGENCY PLA NS, AND RELEVANT CONTACT INFORMATION TO FIRST 29
RESPONDERS OR PUBLIC SAFE TY AGENCY PERSONNEL RESPONDING TO A PANI C 30
BUTTON EVENT AT A SC HOOL WITHOUT FURTHER ACTION NEEDED BY THE USER 31
REPORTING THE EMERGE NCY; AND 32
4 HOUSE BILL 1167
(2) CAPABILITY TO GENERAT E AN AUTOMATED EMERG ENCY ALERT 1
NOTIFICATION TO ALL PUBLIC AND NONPUBLI C SCHOOLS LOCATED IN REASONABLE 2
PROXIMITY TO A N EMERGENCY SITUATIO N THAT IS DETERMINED T O BE AN 3
IMMINENT THREAT TO S CHOOL CAMPUSES OR SC HOOL PERSONNEL BY TH E PUBLIC 4
SAFETY ANSWERING POI NT RECEIVING THE REP ORT, INCLUDING REPORTS OF : 5
(I) AN INDIVIDUAL WH O WAS KILLED; 6
(II) AN ACCIDENT OR THREAT THAT RESULTED IN SER IOUS 7
BODILY INJURY; 8
(III) AN INDIVIDUAL WHO WAS ASSAULTED WITH A DEA DLY 9
WEAPON AND THE ALLEG ED ASSAILANT REMAINS AT LARGE; 10
(IV) THE DISCHARGE OF A FI REARM; AND 11
(V) ANY OTHER EMERGENCY SITUATION AGREED TO BY A 12
PUBLIC SAFETY AGENCY AND A COUNTY BOARD . 13
(E) THE COMMUNICATION PLA TFORM PROCURED UNDER SUBSECTION (C) 14
OF THIS SECTION SHAL L BE CERTIFIED BY TH E U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND 15
SECURITY UNDER THE FE DERAL SUPPORT ANTI–TERRORISM BY FOSTERING 16
EFFECTIVE TECHNOLOGIES ACT. 17
(F) (1) ON OR BEFORE SEPTEMBER 1, 2026, THE CENTER SHALL ENSURE 18
THAT THE PROGRAM HAS BEEN IMPL EMENTED IN EACH PUBL IC SCHOOL IN THE 19
STATE. 20
(2) (I) A PUBLIC SCHOOL WITH AN EXISTING PRO GRAM THAT IS 21
SUBSTANTIALLY SIMILAR TO THE PROGRAM MAY SUBMIT A REQUEST TO THE 22
CENTER TO OPT OUT OF THE PROGRAM. 23
(II) IF THE CENTER DETERMINES THA T A PUBLIC SCHOOL ’S 24
EXISTING PROGRAM IS SUBSTANTIALLY SIMILA R TO THE PROGRAM, THE CENTER 25
SHALL GRANT THE SCHO OL’S REQUEST TO OPT OUT OF THE PROGRAM. 26
(G) FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026, THE GOVERNOR SHALL INCLUD E IN THE 27
ANNUAL BUDGET BILL A N APPROPRIATION OF $4,500,000 FOR THE PROGRAM. 28
Article – Public Safety 29
1–301. 30
(a) In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated. 31 HOUSE BILL 1167 5
(j) (1) “First responder” means an employee of a State or local public safety 1
agency that provides emergency response services. 2
(2) “First responder” includes: 3
(i) a firefighter; 4
(ii) a paramedic; 5
(iii) an emergency medical technician; 6
(iv) a rescue squad member; 7
(v) a sworn member of the Office of the State Fire Marshal; 8
(vi) a member of a volunteer fire or rescue company who is a covered 9
employee under § 9–234 of the Labor and Employment Article; 10
(vii) an individual who is licensed or certified under § 13–516 of the 11
Education Article; and 12
(viii) a 9–1–1 specialist. 13
(t) “Public safety agency” means: 14
(1) a functional division of a public agency that provides fire fighting, 15
police, medical, or other emergency services; or 16
(2) a private entity that provides fire fighting, police, medical, or other 17
emergency services on a voluntary basis. 18
(u) “Public safety answering point” means a communications facility that: 19
(1) is operated on a 24–hour basis; 20
(2) first receives 9–1–1 requests for emergency services in a 9–1–1 service 21
area; and 22
(3) as appropriate: 23
(i) dispatches public safety services directly; 24
(ii) transmits incident data to appropriate public safety agencies 25
within the State for the dispatch of public safety services; or 26
6 HOUSE BILL 1167
(iii) transfers 9–1–1 requests for emergency services or transmits 1
incident data to: 2
1. an appropriate federal emergency communication center 3
responsible for the delivery of public safety services on a federal campus or federal 4
reservation; or 5
2. an appropriate public safety answering point located 6
within or outside the State. 7
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 8
1, 2024. 9