Bill Text: CA AB960 | 2023-2024 | Regular Session | Amended

California Assembly Bill 960

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

Bill Title: School safety: web-based or app-based school safety programs.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Engrossed) 2024-07-03 - Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 39. Noes 0.). [AB960 Detail]

Download: California-2023-AB960-Amended.html

Amended IN Assembly March 20, 2023

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2023–2024 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill

No. 960

Introduced by Assembly Member Mathis

February 14, 2023

An act to add Section 32280.5 to the Education Code, relating to school safety.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 960, as amended, Mathis. School safety: web-based or app-based school safety programs.

Existing law provides that it is the intent of the Legislature that all public schools, in kindergarten, and grades 1 to 12, inclusive, operated by school districts, in cooperation with specified entities and individuals, develop a comprehensive school safety plan, as provided. Existing law provides that school districts and county offices of education are responsible for the overall development of a comprehensive school safety plan for each of its schools, as provided.

Existing law, the Charter Schools Act of 1992, provides for the establishment and operation of charter schools, including countywide charter schools, and requires a petition for the establishment of a charter school to contain comprehensive descriptions of various matters and procedures, including procedures that the charter school will follow to ensure the health and safety of pupils and staff. The act requires those procedures to also require the development of a school safety plan, as provided.

This bill would, on or before July 1, 2030, require each public school, including charter schools, with an enrollment of 100 pupils or more, to implement a web-based or app-based school safety program that includes specified program parameters, including, among others, (1) a multilayered digital map of the schoolsite that contains key information, including, but not limited to, detailed building floor plans, alphanumeric building identification, gate locations, shut-off valve locations, first aid equipment locations, links to 360-degree interior and 360-degree aerial photography, and the location of, and field of view of, schoolsite surveillance cameras, (2) the ability to alert first responders from multiple agencies within a reasonable geographic area from the school in the event of an emergency on or around the schoolsite, and (3) detailed schoolsite information, including, but not limited to, the general schoolsite location, schoolsite size, pupil populations, the schoolsite’s grade levels, the number of staff on campus, the schoolsite’s Wi-Fi connection information, a hierarchy representation of those with responsibility duties, including their name, title, photograph, and contact information, and the emergency procedures for that schoolsite. By imposing additional duties on local officials, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

The bill would require the Superintendent of Public Instruction to certify that each school has implemented a web-based or app-based school safety program. If the Superintendent is made aware of a school’s financial inability to pay for the implementation of the program without causing undo financial harm, the bill would authorize the school to apply to the State Department of Education for a one-time allocation, subject to available funding, to cover the implementation costs of the program. Once the Superintendent has certified that each public school within the state has implemented the required program, the bill would expressly authorize the Superintendent to propose to the Legislature a list of statutes that, in the Superintendent’s view, have been made null or are deemed less stringent than the program’s requirements, that should be considered for being repealed. The bill would require information implemented pursuant to these provisions to be exempt from certain school safety plan disclosure requirements and from disclosure under the California Public Records Act.

Existing constitutional provisions require that a statute that limits the right of access to the meetings of public bodies or the writings of public officials and agencies be adopted with findings demonstrating the interest protected by the limitation and the need for protecting that interest.
This bill would make legislative findings to that effect.

The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.

This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.

Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: YES

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

Section 32280.5 is added to the Education Code, to read:

32280.5.

(a) On or before July 1, 2030, each public school, including charter schools, with an enrollment of 100 pupils or more shall implement a web-based or app-based school safety program that includes at least all of the following program parameters:

(1) A common alphanumeric grid mapping system for the identification of all buildings and locations upon the schoolsite that is replicable across all schoolsites in the state. Each building within the mapped system shall have conspicuous signage upon all corners of the structure listing the alphanumeric identification and any other pertinent information.

(2) A multilayered digital map of the schoolsite that contains key information, including, but not limited to, detailed building floor plans, alphanumeric building identification, gate locations, shut-off valve locations, first aid equipment locations, links to 360-degree interior and 360-degree aerial photography, and the location of, and field of view of, schoolsite surveillance cameras.

(3) The ability to place time stamped event markers on the digital map that identify important information about a crisis, including, but not limited to, injuries, hazards, suspect sightings, and safety zones.

(4) The ability to alert first responders from multiple agencies within a reasonable geographic area from the school in the event of an emergency on or around the schoolsite.

(5) Remote access for first responders to connect to a schoolsite’s surveillance system. Each camera shall have alphanumeric identification, display the direction of the camera’s view, and a brief description of what is seen within the camera’s field of view.

(6) Detailed schoolsite information, including, but not limited to, the general schoolsite location, schoolsite size, pupil populations, the schoolsite’s grade levels, the number of staff on campus, the schoolsite’s Wi-Fi connection information, a hierarchy representation of those with responsibility duties, including their name, title, photograph, and contact information, and the emergency procedures for that schoolsite.

(7) The ability for school administrators to know the location and condition of pupils and staff through an information relay built into the application. This feature shall, at a minimum, allow for schoolsite staff to designate pupils as “absent,” “present,” “missing,” “injured,” and “reconnect,” based upon their accurate accounting. The “reconnect” feature shall include a messaging system that notifies each pupil’s emergency contacts when that pupil has been safely secured by an authorized emergency contact.

(8) A one-directional message service that allows the program director and the schoolsite primary contact to keep schoolsite staff ~~up-to-date~~ up to date with current, urgent details.

(9) The ability to operate the program to conduct emergency practice drills and archive dates, times, and comments related to an emergency practice drill.

(b) Each school shall ensure that the program developers ensure that best practices are implemented to protect the security and data of all pupils and staff listed within the program.

(c) (1) The Superintendent shall certify that each school has implemented a web-based or app-based school safety program. In the event that the Superintendent is made aware of a school’s financial inability to pay for the implementation of the program without causing undo financial harm, the school may apply to the department for a one-time allocation, subject to available funding, to cover the implementation costs of the program. Any ongoing costs shall be the fiscal responsibility of the school.

(2) Once the Superintendent has certified that each public school within the state has implemented the minimum requirements of this section, the Superintendent may propose to the Legislature a list of statutes that, in the Superintendent’s view, have been made null or are deemed less stringent than the requirements of this section, and should be considered for being repealed.

(d) This section does not preclude the governing board or body of a local educational agency from implementing more stringent or additional requirements regarding school safety programs.

(e) This section contains sensitive and tactical response information that is critical to the safety and well-being of public schools and their pupils. Therefore, the information implemented pursuant to this section shall be exempt from any school safety plan disclosure requirements under this article and from disclosure under the California Public Records Act (Division 10 (commencing with Section 7920.000) of Title 1 of the Government Code).

SEC. 2.
The Legislature finds and declares that Section 1 of this act, which adds Section 32280.5 to the Education Code, imposes a limitation on the public’s right of access to the meetings of public bodies or the writings of public officials and agencies within the meaning of Section 3 of Article I of the California Constitution. Pursuant to that constitutional provision, the Legislature makes the following findings to demonstrate the interest protected by this limitation and the need for protecting that interest:
In order to protect sensitive and tactical response information that is critical to the safety and well-being of public schools and their pupils, it is necessary that the information implemented pursuant to Section 1 of this act, which adds Section 32280.5 to the Education Code, is kept confidential.

SEC. 2.SEC. 3.

If the Commission on State Mandates determines that this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code.