BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 3255

By: Manuel

Youth Health & Safety, Select

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) currently offers emergency response management training, which provides for a unified approach to a variety of incidents and prepares individuals to effectively and efficiently manage an incident while operating within a common organizational structure. Such training is not required for school administrators or school security personnel. H.B. 3255 seeks to mitigate risks while dramatically increasing preparedness in the event of a critical incident by requiring specified school staff to complete certain FEMA training courses.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 3255 amends the Education Code, in provisions that also apply to an open-enrollment charter school, to require a public school district to require each principal, assistant principal, school marshal, school district peace officer, school resource officer, and school security personnel employed by or assigned to the district to complete the following emergency response management training courses provided by FEMA:

·         Introduction to the Incident Command System;

·         Basic Incident Command System for Initial Response;

·         An Introduction to the National Incident Management System; and

·         National Response Framework, An Introduction.

The bill requires a district board of trustees to adopt policies to verify completion of the training by each applicable person and to provide annual emergency response management training exercises incorporating the training. The bill establishes that, to the extent of any conflict, it prevails over another bill relating to nonsubstantive additions to and corrections in enacted codes. The bill's provisions apply beginning with the 2023-2024 school year.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2023.