By Jakob Thorington | Yellow Sheet
Republican legislators are reconsidering a school safety bill intended to help law enforcement agencies better respond to life-threatening emergencies.
Senate Bill 1315Track, which has passed the Committee of the Whole and now awaits a vote in the House, would direct school districts and charter schools to set up interoperable communications systems with law enforcement agencies. Rep. Kevin Payne introduced the bill with the intent of giving schools a panic button during emergencies that would allow first responders to quickly access school cameras and floor plans before arriving at a scene.
A previous version of the measure failed on the House floor 29-25.
Rep. Matt Gress amended the bill to make it more acceptable for certain House Republicans by removing a requirement for law enforcement to maintain a communications system. Instead, if passed, the measure would direct the agencies to offer the money to a district or school to set the systems up.
