House School Safety Task Force: organized following the Oxford High School shooting (2021)

Summary

A summary of the work of the House School Safety Task Force, organized by Speaker Jason Wentworth following the Oxford High School shooting, prepared for the Rules & Competitiveness Committee. It states that the bipartisan task force of Reps. Luke Meerman, Scott VanSingel, Pamela Homberger, Gary Eisen, Kelly Breen, Sara Cambensy and Terry Sabo, among others, produced fourteen bill recommendations now before that committee. The bills cover active threat drills and response plans, training for school resource officers and changes to the OK2SAY reporting program. HB 6323 would establish two new ISD positions for safety and mental health, and HB 6326 would create the School Safety and Mental Health Commission with a seat for a parent. Budget items listed include $50,000,000.00 to MSP for grants for school resource officers.

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BETH DISTRICT MICHIGAN TIQUSE OF ILEPRESENTATIVES PHONE: (547) 373-1830

STAFF CAPITOL FAX: (517) 373-0292

STATE REPRESENTATIVE

The House School Safety Task Force was organized by Speaker Jason Wentworth following the Oxford High
School shooting on November 30", 2021, Building off the policy recommendations of the Michigan State Police’s
2018 school safety task force, the bipartisan task force came together with the objective of furthering schoo] safety
and providing working solutions to support student mentalhealth.

The bipartisan task force consists of four Republican legislators and four Democrat legislators. Republicans include
Reps. Luke Meerman, Scott VanSingel, Pamela Homberger, and Gary Eisen. Democrats include Reps. Kelly Breen,
Ranjeev Pun, Sara Cambensy,and Terry Sabo.

The eight legislators on the task force heard from numerous experts in education, building security, mentalhealth,
and law enforcement to identify areas where our schools and students need support. From the beginning, task force
members worked to establish consensus on appropriation and policy objectives that will have an immediate effect on

The task force produced fourteen bill recommendations that are now before the Rules & Competitiveness
Committee. These consensus items are straightforward pieces of public policy that were identified through
discussion and consultation with experts invited to address the task force. This bill package addresses many facets of

school safety ranging from updated requirements foractive threat school safety drills and schools’ response plans
(HB 6319-20), to additional training for school resource officers (HB 632 1-22, 6332).

One ofthe key areas of concem was encouraging students to speak up if they notice concerning behavioror actions
ofa classmate. Our state already hasa vehicle for the transfer of information from a reporting student to authonties
with the State Police. The OK2SAY program reminds students that they can speak up and that theirconcems matter.

Strengthening this program to allow for a more fluid transfer of information between a reporting student, State
Police, as well as school officials and local law enforcement, is an objective we are addressing in HB 6327-29.

HB 6323 establishes two new ISD positions to center on school safety and student mental health. These positions
will receive funding in the state budget so iSDs may employ a safety and security coordinator, as well asa mental
health coordinator. By establishing statute for these positions, we can make sure our school districts receive the
support they need to keep our schools safe. Additionally, HB 6326 establishes the School Safety and Mental Health
Commission, which will promote ongoing discussion on best practices for school security.

As a task force, we worked to establish consensus and find rea] solutions to the issues impacting school safety. One
area we as legislators cannot addressis the critical role parents have in influencing the actions and lifestyle of their
students. Parents are responsible for their student’s upbringing and forestablishing stability in their family. One

thing we know about the tragedy at Oxford High last November is thatthe home lifestyle of the suspect played an
enormousrole in the events that transpired.

As government officials, there is only so much authority granted to us by voters and parents. We cannot be the
driving force in a student’s upbringing and we cannot expect government figures to intervene on parents behalf.

When establishing the School Safety and Mental Health Commission, we wanted to ensure parental nghts are
promoted and protected, which is why a parent will alwayshavea seaton the commission.
Groups We Heard From

e Michigan State Police (MSP) and MSP ® SIGMA Threat Management

Office of School Safety e Giffords Law
Okay2Say ® K-12 Alliance
Michigan Department of Education, ® Oakland County Superintendents
Michigan Association of School e Michigan Shenffs Association,
Psychologists, e Elementary and Middle School Principals
Michigan School Counselor Association, Association
Community Mental Health Association of ® Michigan Legislative Black Caucus
Michigan, @ Sandy Hook Promise and Nicole Hockley
Oxford Public Schools, e Cass County Prosecutor
Safe Schools for Alex and ® Public Input
Max Schachter

Bill Packa e Rules

HB 6319 Gabo); School dnill updates. This bill adds more active shooterdrills and ensures at least one includes local
law enforcement involvement as well as one conducted between classes.

HB 6320 (Hornberger): Beginning in the 2024 school year, require schools to review and update their safety plans
every three years in consultation with the ISD level safety coordinator.

HB 632i (Eisen): Addresses required training for school resource officers and otherstaff.

HB 6322 (Cambensy): Focuses on training for school resource officers and staff with specific guidelines on threat
assessment teams and police authority within the schoo! environment,

HB 6323 (Breen): Requires two new ISD positions, to be funded in the budget, dedicated to school safety and mental
health. Each ISD will receive funding for and hire one Safety and Security coordinator and one Mental Heakh
coordinator. These new positions will serve as the point person for school safety plans, grant opportunities, mental
health and secunty strategies, and other issues. They will act as the conduit between the state and school districts
within the ISD. They will also facilitate communication and coordination across school districts in their region on

these issues with the goal of better implementing best practices and makingsure children with additionalneeds and/or
pose security threats receive the appropriate resources.

HB 6324 (Puri): Creates uniform definitions statewide for school safety terms, such as lockdowns, to foster better
communication dunng crisis events.

HB 6325 (Young): Addresses implementation of uniform definitions.

HB 6326 (Meerman): Creates School Safety and Mental Health Commission, repurposing the current School Safety
Commission. This will be tasked to collaborate with and seek expertise from behavioral, physical, and mentalhealh
professionals, schools, and other organizations from across the state to identify and support at-nsk students and to
reduce youth suicides and strengthen the mental health of school-age children, adolescents, and their families in a
comprehensive, statewide approach. They will also collaborate and interact with the ISD level positions created in
House Bill 6323. This will likely include the reorganization of the current Commission on School Safety undera
different authority and with the increased emphasis on mental health.

HB 6327 (Brann): Add the OK2Say contact information to school ID cards.
HB 6328 (Weiss): Expands on reporting definitions and standards for OK2Say.

HB 6329 (O'Malley): Require that reporting and tips that the OK2Say Program receives are passed on to the ISD
coordinators as well as local {aw enforcement/public safety.
HB 6336 (Neeley): Requires compiling of tips and information received to be provided on a quarterly basis to the
School Safety and Mental Health Commission.

HB 6331 (Lightner): Provides guidance on modem security measures when constructing new school bu ildings

HB 6332 (VanSingel): Encourages more school resource officers in our schools to work with students and provides
for certam lability concem

Ot osed Polic

HB 6020 (Kahle): establishes the Student Mental Health Apprenticeship Retention and Training (SMART) intemship

grant program and prescribes the conditions foradministering the intemship grant program. This bill passed the House
on June 9, 2022, but still requires funding.

HB 6042 (Mueller): requires critical incident mapping in school safety plans to ensure first responders have the best
information possible to respond to threats and incidents. The bill passed the House on June 7, 2022, and is pending in
the Senate and requires funding.

HB 5701 (VanSingel): now Public Act 42 of 2022, updates the building to code to better allow the use of temporary
door barricades during emergencies

SSTF Budget Items

Sec, 31a.(7) (pg9) an amount not to exceed $22,300,000.00 (SAF) + an amount not to exceed $30,000,000.00
(federal) to support primary healthcare services provided to children and adolescents up to age 21.

3% of funds allocated must be made available for technicalsupport and coordination services from a nonprofit
organization dedicated to serving adolescent health centers that hasa membership that includes federal qualified

health centers, local health departments, hospitalsystems, and public school districts. This is a work project to
continue support for primary health care services under Sec. 11

Sec. 31n, (i) and (6) (pg! 6) $40,000,000.00 (federal)to [SDs for general mentathealth support services and general
education of students

Sec, 31p. (1} (pg28) $50,000,000.00 (federal) for MDE grants for districts and {SDs to adopt TRAILS
Sec. 97 (pg38)} school infrastructure grants
Sec. 97b (1) (pgd4) $50,000,000.00 (SAF) to MSP for public school, district, and ISD grants for SROs

Sec. 97e (1) (pgs0) $2,000,000.00 (GF) for statewide school sa fety/mental health commission


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