EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
Underlining indicates amendments to bill.
Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by
amendment.
*hb1167*
HOUSE BILL 1167
E4, F5 4lr2035
CF SB 1090
By: Delegate Foley Delegates Foley, Attar, Atterbeary, Buckel, Ebersole, Fair,
Hartman, Henson, Hornberger, Griffith, Grossman, R. Long, Miller,
Mireku–North, Patterson, Roberts, Vogel, Wells, Wilkins, Wims, Wu, and
Young
Introduced and read first time: February 7, 2024
Assigned to: Ways and Means and Appropriations
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
House action: Adopted
Read second time: March 5, 2024
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Maryland Center for School Safety – Statewide Secure Schools Emergency 2
Response Grant Program – Established 3
FOR the purpose of establishing the Statewide Secure Schools Emergency Response Grant 4
Program to be administered by the Maryland Center for School Safety to provide 5
funds to improve the safety and security of public schools in the State by 6
implementing a certain emergency notification system systems and communications 7
between certain entities; and generally relating to the establishment of the 8
Statewide Secure Schools Emergency Response Grant Program. 9
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 10
Article – Education 11
Section 7–1502(a) 12
Annotated Code of Maryland 13
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2023 Supplement) 14
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 15
Article – Education 16
Section 7–1502(g)(20) and (21) 17
Annotated Code of Maryland 18
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2023 Supplement) 19
2 HOUSE BILL 1167
BY adding to 1
Article – Education 2
Section 7–1502(g)(22) and 7–1513 3
Annotated Code of Maryland 4
(2022 Replacement Volume 2023 Supplement) 5
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 6
Article – Public Safety 7
Section 1–301(a), (j), (t), and (u) 8
Annotated Code of Maryland 9
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2023 Supplement) 10
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 11
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 12
Article – Education 13
7–1502. 14
(a) There is a Maryland Center for School Safety. 15
(g) The Center shall perform the following functions and duties: 16
(20) Review and comment on school emergency plans developed under § 17
7–1510 of this subtitle; [and] 18
(21) Report to the General Assembly and the Governor on life–threatening 19
incidents as required under § 7–1510 of this subtitle; AND 20
(22) ADMINISTER THE STATEWIDE SECURE SCHOOLS EMERGENCY 21
RESPONSE GRANT PROGRAM UNDER § 7–1513 OF THIS SUBTITLE . 22
7–1513. 23
(A) (1) IN THIS SECTION THE F OLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 24
INDICATED. 25
(2) “EMERGENCY EVENT ” MEANS AN EMERGENCY S ITUATION THAT 26
REQUIRES AN IMMEDIAT E RESPONSE BY FIRST RESPONDERS . 27
(2) (3) “FIRST RESPONDER ” HAS THE MEANING STATED IN § 1–301 28
OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY ARTICLE. 29
(3) “PANIC BUTTON EVENT ” MEANS AN EMERGENCY S ITUATION THAT 30
COMPELS THE USER OF AN EMERGENCY NOTIFIC ATION SYSTEM TO PRES S A PANIC 31 HOUSE BILL 1167 3
BUTTON TO INSTANTLY SUMMON HELP TO THEIR LOCATION FROM FIRST 1
RESPONDERS OR OTHER PUBLIC SAFETY AGENCY PERSON NEL. 2
(4) “PROGRAM” MEANS THE STATEWIDE SECURE SCHOOLS 3
EMERGENCY RESPONSE GRANT PROGRAM. 4
(5) “PUBLIC SAFETY AGENCY ” HAS THE MEANING STAT ED IN § 1–301 5
OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY ARTICLE. 6
(6) “PUBLIC SAFETY ANSWERING POINT ” HAS THE MEANING STAT ED 7
IN § 1–301 OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY ARTICLE. 8
(B) (1) THERE IS A STATEWIDE SECURE SCHOOLS EMERGENCY 9
RESPONSE GRANT PROGRAM ADMINISTERED BY THE CENTER. 10
(2) THE PURPOSE OF THE PROGRAM IS TO PROVIDE GRANTS TO 11
LOCAL SCHO OL SYSTEMS TO IMPROVE THE SAFETY AND SECURITY OF PUBLIC 12
SCHOOLS IN THE STATE BY IMPLEMENTING A STATEWIDE EMERGENCY 13
NOTIFICATION SYSTEM THAT FACILITA TES SYSTEMS AND COMMUNICATION 14
BETWEEN PUBLIC ELEME NTARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOL PERSONNEL , A PUBLIC 15
SAFETY ANSW ERING POINT, AND A PUBLIC SAFETY AGENCY IN LIFE–THREATENING 16
AND EMERGENCY SITUATIONS , INCLUDING MEDICAL EM ERGENCIES AND THE 17
PRESENCE OF AN ACTIVE SHOOTER OR INTRUDER AT A PUB LIC SCHOOL DURING 18
EMERGENCY EVENTS . 19
(3) A LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEM AWARDED A GRANT BY THE CENTER 20
UNDER THE PROGRAM SHALL USE THE FUNDS TO: 21
(I) IMPROVE EMERGENCY NOT IFICATION SYSTEMS ; OR 22
(II) ENHANCE COMMUNICATION S WITHIN THE SCHOOL AND 23
WITH PUBLIC SAFETY A GENCIES. 24
(4) EACH COUNTY BOARD , IN CONSULTATION WITH LOCAL LAW 25
ENFORCEMENT AND A LO CAL PUBLIC SAFETY AN SWERING POINT , MAY APPLY TO 26
THE CENTER FOR A GRANT UN DER THE PROGRAM. 27
(C) THE PROGRAM SHALL PROCURE AND IMPLEMENT AN EME RGENCY 28
COMMUNICATION PLATFO RM FOR A SECURE SCHOOLS EMERGENCY RESPONSE 29
PROGRAM THROUGH WHICH ALL SCHOOL FACULTY AN D STAFF ARE ABLE TO ALERT 30
A PUBLIC SAFETY ANSW ERING POINT TO REPOR T A LIFE–THREATENING OR AN 31
EMERGENCY SITUATION . 32
4 HOUSE BILL 1167
(D) (C) THE COMMUNICATION PLA TFORM REQUIRED UNDER 1
SUBSECTION (C) OF THIS SECTION SHAL L AN EMERGENCY NOTIFICA TION SYSTEM 2
AND THE COMMUNICATIO NS UNDER SUBSECTION (B)(3) OF THIS SECTION MAY 3
INCLUDE THE FOLLOWIN G: 4
(1) A CELLULAR PHONE APPLI CATION–BASED PANIC BUTTON 5
EMERGENCY EVENT SYSTEM THAT : 6
(I) CAN BE INTEGRATED WIT H A LOCAL PUBLIC SAF ETY 7
ANSWERING POINT ; AND 8
(II) IS ABLE TO: 9
1. PLACE A STANDARD TELE PHONE CALL TO 9–1–1; 10
2. TEXT COMMUNICATIONS B ETWEEN AUTHORIZED 11
USERS AND A PUBLIC S AFETY ANSWERING POIN T AND PUBLIC SAFETY AGENCY; 12
3. PROVIDE TEXT MESSAGES , E–MAILS, AND PUSH 13
NOTIFICATIONS TO AUT HORIZED USERS, INCLUDING SCHOOL PER SONNEL, FIRST 14
RESPONDERS , AND OTHER PUBLIC SAF ETY AGENCY PERSONNEL ; AND 15
4. AUTOMATICALLY TRANSMI T SCHOOL FLOOR PLANS , 16
SCHOOL EMERGENCY PLA NS, AND RELEVANT CONTACT INFORMATION TO FIRST 17
RESPONDERS OR PUBLIC SAFETY AGENCY PERSO NNEL RESPONDING TO A PANIC 18
BUTTON EVENT AT A SC HOOL WITHOUT FURTHER ACTION NEEDED BY THE USER 19
REPORTING THE EMERGE NCY; AND 20
(2) CAPABILITY THE CAPABILITY TO GENERATE AN AUTOM ATED 21
EMERGENCY ALERT NOTI FICATION TO ALL PUBL IC AND NONPUBLIC SCH OOLS 22
LOCATED IN REASONABLE PROXIMITY TO AN EMERGENCY SITU ATION THAT IS 23
DETERMINED TO BE AN IMMINENT THREAT TO S CHOOL CAMPUSES OR SC HOOL 24
PERSONNEL BY THE PUB LIC SAFETY ANSWERING POINT RECEIVING THE REPORT, 25
INCLUDING REPORTS OF : 26
(I) AN INDIVIDUAL WHO WAS KILLED; 27
(II) AN ACCIDENT OR THREAT THAT RESULTED IN SER IOUS 28
BODILY INJURY; 29
(III) AN INDIVIDUAL WHO WAS ASSAULTED WITH A DEA DLY 30
WEAPON AND THE ALLEG ED ASSAILANT REMAINS AT LARGE; 31
(IV) THE DISCHARGE OF A FI REARM; AND 32 HOUSE BILL 1167 5
(V) ANY OTHER EMERGENCY S ITUATION AGREED TO BY A 1
PUBLIC SAFETY AGENCY AND A COUNTY BOARD ; AND 2
(3) INTERCOMS, SCHOOL PUBLIC ADDRES S SYSTEMS , 3
BIDIRECTIONAL ANTENN AS OR BOOSTERS , AND OTHER TECHNOLOGY THAT WILL 4
IMPROVE EMERGENCY NO TIFICATION AND COMMU NICATION, AS IDENTIFIED BY THE 5
CENTER. 6
(E) THE COMMUNICATION PLA TFORM PROCURED UNDER SUBSECTION (C) 7
OF THIS SECTION SHAL L BE CERTIFIED BY TH E U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND 8
SECURITY UNDER THE FE DERAL SUPPORT ANTI–TERRORISM BY FOSTERING 9
EFFECTIVE TECHNOLOGIES ACT. 10
(F) (D) (1) ON OR BEFORE SEPTEMBER 1, 2026, THE CENTER SHALL 11
ENSURE THAT THE PROGRAM HAS BEEN IMPLEMENTED IN EACH PUBLIC SCHOO L IN 12
THE STATE. 13
(2) (I) A PUBLIC SCHOOL WITH A N EXISTING PROGRAM T HAT IS 14
SUBSTANTIALLY SIMILA R TO THE PROGRAM MAY SUBMIT A REQUEST TO THE 15
CENTER TO OPT OUT OF THE PROGRAM. 16
(II) IF THE CENTER DETERMINES THA T A PUBLIC SCHOOL ’S 17
EXISTING PROGRAM IS SUBSTANTIALLY SIMILA R TO THE PROGRAM, THE CENTER 18
SHALL GRANT THE SCHO OL’S REQUEST TO OPT OUT OF THE PROGRAM IS 19
OPERATING AND AVAILA BLE TO EACH CO UNTY BOARD. 20
(G) (E) FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026, THE THE GOVERNOR SHALL MAY 21
INCLUDE IN THE ANNUAL BUDGET BI LL AN APPROPRIATION OF $4,500,000 FOR THE 22
PROGRAM. 23
Article – Public Safety 24
1–301. 25
(a) In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated. 26
(j) (1) “First responder” means an employee of a State or local public safety 27
agency that provides emergency response services. 28
(2) “First responder” includes: 29
(i) a firefighter; 30
(ii) a paramedic; 31 6 HOUSE BILL 1167
(iii) an emergency medical technician; 1
(iv) a rescue squad member; 2
(v) a sworn member of the Office of the State Fire Marshal; 3
(vi) a member of a volunteer fire or rescue company who is a covered 4
employee under § 9–234 of the Labor and Employment Article; 5
(vii) an individual who is licensed or certified under § 13–516 of the 6
Education Article; and 7
(viii) a 9–1–1 specialist. 8
(t) “Public safety agency” means: 9
(1) a functional division of a public agency that provides fire fighting, 10
police, medical, or other emergency services; or 11
(2) a private entity that provides fire fighting, police, medical, or other 12
emergency services on a voluntary basis. 13
(u) “Public safety answering point” means a communications facility that: 14
(1) is operated on a 24–hour basis; 15
(2) first receives 9–1–1 requests for emergency services in a 9–1–1 service 16
area; and 17
(3) as appropriate: 18
(i) dispatches public safety services directly; 19
(ii) transmits incident data to appropriate public safety agencies 20
within the State for the dispatch of public safety services; or 21
(iii) transfers 9–1–1 requests for emergency services or transmits 22
incident data to: 23
1. an appropriate federal emergency communication center 24
responsible for the delivery of public safety services on a federal campus or federal 25
reservation; or 26
2. an appropriate public safety answering point located 27
within or outside the State. 28
HOUSE BILL 1167 7
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 1
1, 2024. 2
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.