HF5018

Purpose

• The bill aims to strengthen school safety by enhancing safety planning and crisis response. It references establishing an anonymous threat reporting system, adjusting rules around firearms on school property, providing for additional student support personnel, requiring reports, and authorizing funds.

Main Provisions

• Crisis Management Policy (section amending 121A.035)

  • The commissioner must maintain a model crisis management policy for schools, which must include a cardiac emergency response plan and alignment with a model school safety plan and drills (lockdown, fire, and tornado).
  • The policy must be developed cooperatively with a wide range of stakeholders (administrators, teachers, students, parents, law enforcement, emergency management, social services, etc.).
  • The policy requires at least:
  • Five school lockdown drills
  • Five school fire drills
  • One tornado drill
  • Schools may adopt a model cardiac emergency response plan, and should, to the extent practical, integrate the safety plan with the crisis management policy.

• School Safety Plans; School Safety Center (section amending 121A.036)

  • The School Safety Center at the Department of Public Safety must:
  • Develop an evidence-based model school safety plan to prevent human-caused safety incidents.
  • Create criteria to determine whether a plan is evidence-based.
  • Prepare a report identifying districts and charter schools that have adopted an evidence-based plan and post it publicly. This report must be sent to legislative committees by December 1, 2028 and every two years after.
  • The Center may provide consulting services to K-12 schools to develop or improve evidence-based safety plans and may consult with the Department of Education’s mental health leadership regarding safety plans.
  • The Center must maintain and make available an evidence-based model school safety plan for districts/charter schools to use, and post the model plan on its website no later than September 1, 2026. Third-party plans may be shared with school boards.
  • Evidence-based is defined by: statistically significant positive effects on student outcomes from well-designed studies (experimental, quasi-experimental, or well-controlled correlational studies with bias controls) or a solid research/evaluation rationale with ongoing effect assessment.

• Local School Safety Plan Requirements

  • School boards must adopt an evidence-based school safety plan to prevent human-caused safety incidents.
  • Practically, the local plan should align with and, where possible, integrate with the crisis management policy.
  • Beginning August 1, 2028, districts/charter schools that have not adopted an evidence-based plan must submit their plan to the School Safety Center.
  • Nonpublic schools are encouraged to develop an evidence-based plan and may consult with the School Safety Center.

Implementation Timeline and Reporting

• September 1, 2026: The School Safety Center must post its evidence-based model plan (and may provide access to third-party plans).
• December 1, 2028, and every two years thereafter: The Center must report to legislative committees on districts/charter schools that have adopted an evidence-based safety plan.
• August 1, 2028: Public schools must begin submitting their evidence-based safety plans to the School Safety Center if they have not yet adopted one.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

• Creates a formal, state-level process for developing and disseminating an evidence-based school safety plan through the School Safety Center and the Department of Public Safety.
• Establishes mandatory, cooperative development of a crisis management policy with broad stakeholder involvement and clearly specified drill requirements.
• Requires districts/charter schools to adopt and integrate an evidence-based local safety plan, with a clear timeline for submission to the School Safety Center.
• Introduces a formal reporting obligation to the Legislature on the adoption and status of evidence-based safety plans.
• Expands the framework for school safety by linking crisis management, safety planning, mental health collaboration, and evidence-based practices.

Relevant terms and concepts frequently used in the bill - anonymous threat reporting system - crisis management policy - school safety plan - School Safety Center - evidence-based model plan - evidence-based (strong/moderate/promising evidence) - lockdown drills - fire drills - tornado drill - cardiac emergency response plan - partners/stakeholders (administrators, teachers, students, families, law enforcement, emergency management, social services) - consultations with mental health leadership - local control and integration with existing policies - reporting to the Legislature

Relevant Terms anonymous threat reporting system crisis management policy model school safety plan School Safety Center evidence-based plan lockdown drills fire drills tornado drill cardiac emergency response plan integration legislative reporting nonpublic school well-designed experimental studies quasi-experimental studies statistical controls for selection bias