ENROLLED
2025 Legislature CS for SB 1470, 2nd Engrossed
20251470er
1
2 An act relating to school safety; amending s. 30.15,
3 F.S.; revising the Chris Hixon, Coach Aaron Feis, and
4 Coach Scott Beigel Guardian Program to include child
5 care facilities; requiring a sheriff to establish a
6 guardian program under certain circumstances;
7 requiring certain security guards to meet specified
8 school guardian training and screening requirements;
9 requiring a child care facility or security agency to
10 be responsible for all costs related to the guardian
11 program; prohibiting such costs from exceeding a
12 specified amount; authorizing a sheriff to waive such
13 costs for a child care facility; prohibiting a sheriff
14 from waiving costs for initial training of a school
15 security guard; authorizing a sheriff to certify a
16 person as a school security guard if he or she meets
17 specified criteria; revising firearm requirements for
18 school guardians and school security guards;
19 authorizing a sheriff to issue certificates to school
20 security guards who meet specified requirements;
21 requiring a sheriff to maintain specified
22 documentation; requiring a child care facility or
23 employing security agency to make specified reports;
24 requiring the Department of Law Enforcement to
25 maintain specified records; requiring a sheriff to
26 make specified reports of certain school guardian or
27 school security guard trainings; prohibiting a child
28 care facility or employing security agency from
29 operating a school guardian program under certain
30 circumstances; amending s. 402.305, F.S.; authorizing
31 a child care facility to partner with specified
32 entities to establish or assign safe-school officers
33 and participate in the guardian program; requiring a
34 child care facility to pay for the full cost of the
35 guardian program; requiring compliance with specified
36 provisions relating to safe-school officers; providing
37 construction; amending s. 1001.212, F.S.; deleting
38 obsolete language and making editorial changes;
39 requiring the Office of Safe Schools to convene a
40 workgroup of specified entities; requiring the
41 workgroup to make recommendations for the
42 establishment of a Florida Institute of School Safety;
43 requiring the workgroup to submit its findings and
44 recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature by
45 a certain date; deleting a requirement for the office
46 to evaluate the methodology for the safe school
47 allocation; amending s. 1006.07, F.S.; requiring the
48 Department of Education, in cooperation with the
49 Department of Management Services, to identify a
50 centralized system for use by all public safety
51 answering point infrastructure, subject to
52 appropriation; providing requirements for the system;
53 requiring each public and charter school to confirm
54 with the district school board that the school’s
55 respective panic alert system is connected to the
56 centralized system; requiring that panic alert systems
57 be integrated with the centralized system; requiring
58 that certain digital maps be integrated with the
59 centralized system; requiring specified school safety
60 requirements to be implemented during specified time
61 periods; revising the requirements for certain gates
62 and campus access points to be open or unlocked;
63 defining the terms “exclusive zone” and “nonexclusive
64 zone”; providing construction; authorizing school
65 classrooms and instructional spaces to use temporary
66 door locks; providing requirements for such locks;
67 providing that certain instructional spaces for career
68 and technical education are exempt from specified
69 requirements under certain circumstances; providing
70 that certain provisions apply to common areas on
71 school campuses; providing exemptions from certain
72 requirements for doors, gates, and campus access
73 points in certain schools; providing requirements for
74 locked barriers between classrooms and open school
75 campuses; requiring certain protocols and policies to
76 be provided to substitute teachers; amending s.
77 1006.12, F.S.; requiring a sheriff to conduct
78 specified training; requiring that certain reports be
79 submitted to a school security guard’s employing
80 agency; requiring a sheriff’s approval before a school
81 security guard’s employment in a county; requiring the
82 Office of Safe Schools to provide specified
83 information to the Department of Law Enforcement;
84 providing an effective date.
85
86 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
87
88 Section 1. Paragraph (k) of subsection (1) of section
89 30.15, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
90 30.15 Powers, duties, and obligations.—
91 (1) Sheriffs, in their respective counties, in person or by
92 deputy, shall:
93 (k) Assist district school boards and charter school
94 governing boards in complying with, or private schools or child
95 care facilities, as defined in s. 402.302, in exercising options
96 in, s. 1006.12. A sheriff shall must, at a minimum, provide
97 access to a Chris Hixon, Coach Aaron Feis, and Coach Scott
98 Beigel Guardian Program to aid in the prevention or abatement of
99 active assailant incidents on school premises, as required under
100 this paragraph. Persons certified as school guardians pursuant
101 to this paragraph have no authority to act in any law
102 enforcement capacity except to the extent necessary to prevent
103 or abate an active assailant incident.
104 1.a. If a local school board has voted by a majority to
105 implement a guardian program or has contracted for the use of
106 school security guards to satisfy the requirements of s.
107 1006.12, the sheriff in that county must shall establish a
108 guardian program to provide training for school guardians or
109 school security guards, pursuant to subparagraph 2., to school
110 district, charter school, or private school, child care
111 facility, or security agency employees, either directly or
112 through a contract with another sheriff’s office that has
113 established a guardian program. The security agency employing a
114 school security guard is responsible for all training and
115 screening-related costs for a school security guard, but such
116 charges may not exceed the actual cost incurred by the sheriff
117 to provide the training.
118 b. A charter school governing board in a school district
119 that has not voted, or has declined, to implement a guardian
120 program may request the sheriff in the county to establish a
121 guardian program for the purpose of training the charter school
122 employees or school security guards consistent with the
123 requirements of subparagraph 2. If the county sheriff denies the
124 request, the charter school governing board may contract with a
125 sheriff that has established a guardian program to provide such
126 training. The charter school governing board must notify the
127 superintendent and the sheriff in the charter school’s county of
128 the contract prior to its execution. The security agency
129 employing a school security guard is responsible for all
130 training and screening-related costs for a school security
131 guard, but such charges may not exceed the actual cost incurred
132 by the sheriff to provide the training.
133 c. A private school or child care facility in a school
134 district that has not voted, or has declined, to implement a
135 guardian program may request that the sheriff in the county of
136 the private school or child care facility establish a guardian
137 program for the purpose of training private school employees,
138 child care facility employees, or school security guards. If the
139 county sheriff denies the request, the private school or child
140 care facility may contract with a sheriff from another county
141 who has established a guardian program under subparagraph 2. to
142 provide such training. The private school or child care facility
143 must notify the sheriff in the private school’s or child care
144 facility’s county of the contract with a sheriff from another
145 county before its execution. The private school, child care
146 facility, or security agency is responsible for all training and
147 screening-related costs for a school guardian program. The
148 sheriff providing such training must ensure that any moneys paid
149 by a private school, child care facility, or security agency are
150 not commingled with any funds provided by the state to the
151 sheriff as reimbursement for screening-related and training
152 related costs of any school district or charter school employee.
153 d. The training program required in sub-subparagraph 2.b.
154 is a standardized statewide curriculum, and each sheriff
155 providing such training shall adhere to the course of
156 instruction specified in that sub-subparagraph. This
157 subparagraph does not prohibit a sheriff from providing
158 additional training. A school guardian or school security guard
159 who has completed the training program required in sub
160 subparagraph 2.b. may not be required to attend another
161 sheriff’s training program pursuant to that sub-subparagraph
162 unless there has been at least a 1-year break in his or her
163 appointment as a guardian or employment by a security agency as
164 a school security guard in a school.
165 e. The sheriff conducting the training pursuant to
166 subparagraph 2. for school district and charter school employees
167 will be reimbursed for screening-related and training-related
168 costs and for providing a one-time stipend of $500 to each
169 school guardian who participates in the school guardian program.
170 f. The sheriff may waive the training and screening-related
171 costs for a private school or child care facility for a school
172 guardian program. Funds provided pursuant to sub-subparagraph e.
173 may not be used to subsidize any costs that have been waived by
174 the sheriff. The sheriff may not waive the training and
175 screening-related costs required to be paid by a security agency
176 for initial training or ongoing training of a school security
177 guard.
178 g. A person who is certified and in good standing under the
179 Florida Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission, who
180 meets the qualifications established in s. 943.13, and who is
181 otherwise qualified for the position of a school guardian or
182 school security guard may be certified as a school guardian or
183 school security guard by the sheriff without completing the
184 training requirements of sub-subparagraph 2.b. However, a person
185 certified as a school guardian or school security guard under
186 this sub-subparagraph must meet the requirements of sub
187 subparagraphs 2.c.-e.
188 2. A sheriff who establishes a program shall consult with
189 the Department of Law Enforcement on programmatic guiding
190 principles, practices, and resources, and shall certify as
191 school guardians, without the power of arrest, school employees,
192 as specified in s. 1006.12(3), or shall certify as school
193 security guards those persons employed by a security agency who
194 meet the criteria specified in s. 1006.12(4), and who:
195 a. Hold a valid license issued under s. 790.06 or are
196 otherwise eligible to possess or carry a concealed firearm under
197 chapter 790.
198 b. After satisfying the requirements of s. 1006.12(7),
199 complete a 144-hour training program, consisting of 12 hours of
200 training to improve the school guardian’s knowledge and skills
201 necessary to respond to and de-escalate incidents on school
202 premises and 132 total hours of comprehensive firearm safety and
203 proficiency training conducted by Criminal Justice Standards and
204 Training Commission-certified instructors, which must include:
205 (I) Eighty hours of firearms instruction based on the
206 Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission’s Law
207 Enforcement Academy training model, which must include at least
208 10 percent but no more than 20 percent more rounds fired than
209 associated with academy training. Program participants must
210 achieve an 85 percent pass rate on the firearms training.
211 (II) Sixteen hours of instruction in precision pistol.
212 (III) Eight hours of discretionary shooting instruction
213 using state-of-the-art simulator exercises.
214 (IV) Sixteen hours of instruction in active shooter or
215 assailant scenarios.
216 (V) Eight hours of instruction in defensive tactics.
217 (VI) Four hours of instruction in legal issues.
218 c. Pass a psychological evaluation administered by a
219 psychologist licensed under chapter 490 and designated by the
220 Department of Law Enforcement and submit the results of the
221 evaluation to the sheriff’s office. The Department of Law
222 Enforcement is authorized to provide the sheriff’s office with
223 mental health and substance abuse data for compliance with this
224 paragraph.
225 d. Submit to and pass an initial drug test and subsequent
226 random drug tests in accordance with the requirements of s.
227 112.0455 and the sheriff’s office.
228 e. Successfully complete ongoing training, weapon
229 inspection, and firearm qualification on at least an annual
230 basis.
231
232 The sheriff who conducts the guardian training or waives the
233 training requirements for a person under sub-subparagraph 1.g.
234 shall issue a school guardian certificate to persons who meet
235 the requirements of this section to the satisfaction of the
236 sheriff, and shall maintain documentation of weapon and
237 equipment inspections, as well as the training, certification,
238 inspection, and qualification records of each school guardian
239 certified by the sheriff. A person who is certified under this
240 paragraph may serve as a school guardian under s. 1006.12(3)
241 only if he or she is appointed by the applicable school district
242 superintendent, charter school principal, or private school head
243 of school, or child care facility owner. A sheriff who conducts
244 the training for a school security guard or waives the training
245 requirements for a person under sub-subparagraph 1.g. and
246 determines that the school security guard has met all the
247 requirements of s. 1006.12(4) shall issue a school security
248 guard certificate to persons who meet the requirements of this
249 section to the satisfaction of the sheriff and shall maintain
250 documentation of weapon and equipment inspections, training,
251 certification, and qualification records for each school
252 security guard certified by the sheriff.
253 3.a.(I) Within 30 days after issuing a school guardian or
254 school security guard certificate, the sheriff who issued the
255 certificate must report to the Department of Law Enforcement the
256 name, date of birth, and certification date of the school
257 guardian or school security guard.
258 (II) By September 1, 2024, each sheriff who issued a school
259 guardian certificate must report to the Department of Law
260 Enforcement the name, date of birth, and certification date of
261 each school guardian who received a certificate from the
262 sheriff.
263 b.(I) By February 1 and September 1 of each school year,
264 each school district, charter school, employing security agency,
265 and private school, and child care facility must report in the
266 manner prescribed to the Department of Law Enforcement the name,
267 date of birth, and appointment date of each person appointed as
268 a school guardian or employed as a school security guard. The
269 school district, charter school, employing security agency, and
270 private school, and child care facility must also report in the
271 manner prescribed to the Department of Law Enforcement the date
272 each school guardian or school security guard separates from his
273 or her appointment as a school guardian or employment as a
274 school security guard in a school.
275 (II) By September 1, 2024, each school district, charter
276 school, and private school must report to the Department of Law
277 Enforcement the name, date of birth, and initial and end-of
278 appointment dates, as applicable, of each person appointed as a
279 school guardian.
280 c. The Department of Law Enforcement shall maintain a list
281 of each person appointed as a school guardian or certified as a
282 school security guard in the state. The list must include the
283 name and certification date of each school guardian and school
284 security guard and the date the person was appointed as a school
285 guardian or certified as a school security guard, including the
286 name of the school district, charter school, or private school,
287 or child care facility in which the school guardian is
288 appointed, or the employing security agency of a school security
289 guard, any information provided pursuant to s. 1006.12(5), and,
290 if applicable, the date such person separated from his or her
291 appointment as a school guardian or the last date a school
292 security guard served in a school as of the last reporting date.
293 The Department of Law Enforcement shall remove from the list any
294 person whose training has expired pursuant to sub-subparagraph
295 1.d.
296 d. Each sheriff shall must report on a quarterly basis to
297 the Department of Law Enforcement the schedule for upcoming
298 school guardian trainings, to include guardian trainings for
299 school security guards, including the dates of the training, the
300 training locations, a contact person to register for the
301 training, and the class capacity. If no trainings are scheduled,
302 the sheriff is not required to report to the Department of Law
303 Enforcement. The Department of Law Enforcement shall publish on
304 its website a list of the upcoming school guardian trainings.
305 The Department of Law Enforcement shall must update such list
306 quarterly.
307 e. A sheriff who fails to report the information required
308 by this subparagraph may not receive reimbursement from the
309 Department of Education for school guardian trainings. Upon the
310 submission of the required information, a sheriff is deemed
311 eligible for such funding and is authorized to continue to
312 receive reimbursement for school guardian training.
313 f. A school district, charter school, or private school,
314 child care facility, or employing security agency that fails to
315 report the information required by this subparagraph is
316 prohibited from operating may not operate a school guardian
317 program or employing school security guards in for the following
318 school year, unless the missing school district, charter school,
319 or private school has submitted the required information is
320 provided.
321 g. By March 1 and October 1 of each school year, the
322 Department of Law Enforcement shall notify the Department of
323 Education of any sheriff, school district, charter school, or
324 private school, or child care facility that has not complied
325 with the reporting requirements of this subparagraph.
326 h. The Department of Law Enforcement may adopt rules to
327 implement the requirements of this subparagraph, including
328 requiring additional reporting information only as necessary to
329 uniquely identify each school guardian and school security guard
330 reported.
331 Section 2. Subsection (20) is added to section 402.305,
332 Florida Statutes, to read:
333 402.305 Licensing standards; child care facilities.—
334 (20) SAFE SCHOOL OFFICERS.—
335 (a) A child care facility may partner with a law
336 enforcement agency or a security agency to establish or assign
337 one or more safe-school officers established in s. 1006.12(1)
338 (4). The child care facility is responsible for the full cost of
339 implementing any such option, which includes all training costs
340 under the Chris Hixon, Coach Aaron Feis, and Coach Scott Beigel
341 Guardian Program under s. 30.15(1)(k).
342 (b) A child care facility that establishes a safe-school
343 officer must comply with the requirements of s. 1006.12.
344 References to a school district, district school board, or
345 district school superintendent in s. 1006.12(1)-(5) shall also
346 mean an owner of a child care facility. References to a school
347 district employee in s. 1006.12(3) shall also mean child care
348 personnel.
349 Section 3. Paragraphs (a), (b), and (c) of subsection (11)
350 and subsection (17) of section 1001.212, Florida Statutes, are
351 amended to read:
352 1001.212 Office of Safe Schools.—There is created in the
353 Department of Education the Office of Safe Schools. The office
354 is fully accountable to the Commissioner of Education. The
355 office shall serve as a central repository for best practices,
356 training standards, and compliance oversight in all matters
357 regarding school safety and security, including prevention
358 efforts, intervention efforts, and emergency preparedness
359 planning. The office shall:
360 (11) Develop a statewide behavioral threat management
361 operational process, a Florida-specific behavioral threat
362 assessment instrument, and a threat management portal.
363 (a)1. By December 1, 2023, The office shall maintain the
364 develop a statewide behavioral threat management operational
365 process to guide school districts, schools, charter school
366 governing boards, and charter schools through the threat
367 management process. The process must be designed to identify,
368 assess, manage, and monitor potential and real threats to
369 schools. This process must include, but is not limited to:
370 a. The establishment and duties of threat management teams.
371 b. Defining behavioral risks and threats.
372 c. The use of the Florida-specific behavioral threat
373 assessment instrument developed pursuant to paragraph (b) to
374 evaluate the behavior of students who may pose a threat to the
375 school, school staff, or other students and to coordinate
376 intervention and services for such students.
377 d. Upon the availability of the threat management portal
378 developed pursuant to paragraph (c), the use, authorized user
379 criteria, and access specifications of the portal.
380 e. Procedures for the implementation of interventions,
381 school support, and community services.
382 f. Guidelines for appropriate law enforcement intervention.
383 g. Procedures for risk management.
384 h. Procedures for disciplinary actions.
385 i. Mechanisms for continued monitoring of potential and
386 real threats.
387 j. Procedures for referrals to mental health services
388 identified by the school district or charter school governing
389 board pursuant to s. 1012.584(4).
390 k. Procedures and requirements necessary for the creation
391 of a threat assessment report, all corresponding documentation,
392 and any other information required by the Florida-specific
393 behavioral threat assessment instrument under paragraph (b).
394 2. Upon availability, Each school district, school, charter
395 school governing board, and charter school shall must use the
396 statewide behavioral threat management operational process.
397 3. The office shall provide training to all school
398 districts, schools, charter school governing boards, and charter
399 schools on the statewide behavioral threat management
400 operational process.
401 4. The office shall coordinate the ongoing development,
402 implementation, and operation of the statewide behavioral threat
403 management operational process.
404 (b)1. By August 1, 2023, The office shall maintain the
405 develop a Florida-specific behavioral threat assessment
406 instrument for school districts, schools, charter school
407 governing boards, and charter schools to use to evaluate the
408 behavior of students who may pose a threat to the school, school
409 staff, or students and to coordinate intervention and services
410 for such students. The Florida-specific behavioral threat
411 assessment instrument must include, but is not limited to:
412 a. An assessment of the threat, which includes an
413 assessment of the student, family, and school and social
414 dynamics.
415 b. An evaluation to determine whether a threat exists and
416 if so, the type of threat.
417 c. The response to a threat, which includes the school
418 response, the role of law enforcement agencies in the response,
419 and the response by mental health providers.
420 d. Ongoing monitoring to assess implementation of threat
421 management and safety strategies.
422 e. Ongoing monitoring to evaluate interventions and support
423 provided to the students.
424 f. A standardized threat assessment report, which must
425 include, but need not be limited to, all documentation
426 associated with the evaluation, intervention, management, and
427 any ongoing monitoring of the threat.
428 2. A report, all corresponding documentation, and any other
429 information required by the instrument in the threat management
430 portal under paragraph (c) is an education record and may not be
431 retained, maintained, or transferred, except in accordance with
432 State Board of Education rule.
433 3. Upon availability, Each school district, school, charter
434 school governing board, and charter school shall must use the
435 Florida-specific behavioral threat assessment instrument.
436 4. The office shall provide training for members of threat
437 management teams established under s. 1006.07(7) and for all
438 school districts and charter school governing boards regarding
439 the use of the Florida-specific behavioral threat assessment
440 instrument.
441 (c)1. By August 1, 2025, the office shall develop, host,
442 maintain, and administer a threat management portal that will
443 digitize the Florida-specific behavioral threat assessment
444 instrument for use by each school district, school, charter
445 school governing board, and charter school. The portal will also
446 facilitate the electronic threat assessment reporting and
447 documentation as required by the Florida-specific behavioral
448 threat assessment instrument to evaluate the behavior of
449 students who may pose a threat to the school, school staff, or
450 students and to coordinate intervention and services for such
451 students. The portal may not provide the office with access to
452 the portal unless authorized in accordance with State Board of
453 Education rule. The portal must include, but need not be limited
454 to, the following functionalities:
455 a. Workflow processes that align with the statewide
456 behavioral threat management operational process.
457 b. Direct data entry and file uploading as required by the
458 Florida-specific behavioral threat assessment instrument.
459 c. The ability to create a threat assessment report as
460 required by the Florida-specific behavioral threat assessment
461 instrument.
462 d. The ability of authorized personnel to add to or update
463 a threat assessment report, all corresponding documentation, or
464 any other information required by the Florida-specific
465 behavioral threat assessment instrument.
466 e. The ability to create and remove connections between
467 education records in the portal and authorized personnel.
468 f. The ability to grant access to and securely transfer any
469 education records in the portal to other schools or charter
470 schools in the district.
471 g. The ability to grant access to and securely transfer any
472 education records in the portal to schools and charter schools
473 not in the originating district.
474 h. The ability to retain, maintain, and transfer education
475 records in the portal in accordance with State Board of
476 Education rule.
477 i. The ability to restrict access to, entry of,
478 modification of, and transfer of education records in the portal
479 to a school district, school, charter school governing board, or
480 charter school and authorized personnel as specified by the
481 statewide behavioral threat management operational process.
482 j. The ability to designate school district or charter
483 school governing board system administrators who may grant
484 access to authorized school district and charter school
485 governing board personnel and school and charter school system
486 administrators.
487 k. The ability to designate school or charter school system
488 administrators who may grant access to authorized school or
489 charter school personnel.
490 l. The ability to notify the office’s system administrators
491 and school district or charter school governing board system
492 administrators of attempts to access any education records by
493 unauthorized personnel.
494 2. Upon availability, each school district, school, charter
495 school governing board, and charter school shall use the portal.
496 3. A threat assessment report, including, but not limited
497 to, all corresponding documentation, and any other information
498 required by the Florida-specific behavioral threat assessment
499 instrument which is maintained in the portal, is an education
500 record and may not be retained, maintained, or transferred,
501 except in accordance with State Board of Education rule.
502 4. The office and the office system administrators may not
503 have access to a threat assessment report, all corresponding
504 documentation, and any other information required by the
505 Florida-specific behavioral threat assessment instrument which
506 is maintained in the portal, except in accordance with State
507 Board of Education rule.
508 5. A school district or charter school governing board may
509 not have access to the education records in the portal, except
510 in accordance with State Board of Education rule.
511 6. The parent of a student may access his or her student’s
512 education records in the portal in accordance with State Board
513 of Education rule, but may not have access to the portal.
514 7. The office shall develop and implement a quarterly
515 portal access review audit process.
516 8. Upon availability, each school district, school, charter
517 school governing board, and charter school shall comply with the
518 quarterly portal access review audit process developed by the
519 office.
520 9. By August 1, 2025, and annually thereafter, the office
521 shall provide role-based training to all authorized school
522 district, school, charter school governing board, and charter
523 school personnel.
524 10. Any individual who accesses, uses, or releases any
525 education record contained in the portal for a purpose not
526 specifically authorized by law commits a noncriminal infraction,
527 punishable by a fine not exceeding $2,000.
528 (17) Convene a workgroup of stakeholders, including, but
529 not limited to, postsecondary institutions, law enforcement,
530 fire and EMS, emergency management, school facilities staff,
531 school safety specialists, school administrators,
532 superintendents, school-based mental health professionals, and
533 threat management practitioners. The workgroup shall make
534 recommendations for the establishment of a Florida Institute of
535 School Safety, including programs and functions to enhance
536 school safety. The workgroup shall submit the findings and
537 recommendations to the Governor, the President of the Senate,
538 and the Speaker of the House of Representatives no later than
539 January 1, 2026 By December 1, 2024, evaluate the methodology
540 for the safe schools allocation in s. 1011.62(12) and, if
541 necessary, make recommendations for an alternate methodology to
542 distribute the remaining balance of the safe schools allocation
543 as indicated in s. 1011.62(12).
544 Section 4. Paragraph (f) of subsection (6) of section
545 1006.07, Florida Statutes, is amended, paragraph (h) is added to
546 that subsection, and paragraphs (f) and (g) are added to
547 subsection (4) of that section, to read:
548 1006.07 District school board duties relating to student
549 discipline and school safety.—The district school board shall
550 provide for the proper accounting for all students, for the
551 attendance and control of students at school, and for proper
552 attention to health, safety, and other matters relating to the
553 welfare of students, including:
554 (4) EMERGENCY DRILLS; EMERGENCY PROCEDURES.—
555 (f) Subject to an appropriation, the Department of
556 Education, in cooperation with the Department of Management
557 Services, shall identify a centralized system for use by all
558 public safety answering point infrastructure which can receive
559 alerts from all panic alert systems and integrate digital maps
560 used by public schools, charter schools, and other educational
561 institutions. The centralized system must:
562 1. Receive alerts, location information, and relevant data
563 from all department-approved panic alert systems.
564 2. Integrate and display digital school maps to provide
565 real-time situational awareness to law enforcement and emergency
566 responders.
567 3. Retain and provide access to historical alert data for
568 use by authorized state agencies.
569 (g) If established pursuant to paragraph (f), each public
570 school and charter school shall confirm with the district school
571 board that the school’s respective panic alert system is
572 connected to the centralized system. Panic alert systems must be
573 integrated with the centralized system to ensure seamless
574 notification of law enforcement and emergency responders.
575 Digital maps required under s. 1013.13 must also be integrated
576 with the centralized system to support emergency response.
577 (6) SAFETY AND SECURITY BEST PRACTICES.—Each district
578 school superintendent shall establish policies and procedures
579 for the prevention of violence on school grounds, including the
580 assessment of and intervention with individuals whose behavior
581 poses a threat to the safety of the school community.
582 (f) School safety requirements.—By August 1, 2024, Each
583 school district and charter school governing board shall comply
584 with the following school safety requirements, which apply from
585 30 minutes before the school start time until 30 minutes after
586 the end of the school day:
587 1. All gates or other access points that restrict ingress
588 to or egress from the exclusive zone of a school campus shall
589 remain closed and locked when students are on campus. For the
590 purposes of this section, the term “exclusive zone” means the
591 area within a gate or door allowing access to the interior
592 perimeter of a school campus beyond a single point of entry.
593 A gate or other campus access point to the exclusive zone may
594 only not be open or unlocked if one of the following conditions
595 is met, regardless of whether it is during normal school hours,
596 unless:
597 a. It is attended or actively staffed by a person when
598 students are on campus;
599 b. The use complies is in accordance with a shared use
600 agreement pursuant to s. 1013.101;
601 c. Another closed and locked gate or access point separates
602 the open or unlocked gate from areas occupied by students; or
603 d.c. The school safety specialist, or his or her designee,
604 has documented in the Florida Safe Schools Assessment Tool
605 portal maintained by the Office of Safe Schools that the gate or
606 other access point is not subject to this requirement based upon
607 other safety measures at the school. The office may conduct a
608 compliance visit pursuant to s. 1001.212(14) to review if such
609 determination is appropriate.
610
611 This subparagraph does not apply to the nonexclusive zone of a
612 school campus. The term “nonexclusive zone” means the area
613 outside of the exclusive zone but contained on school property.
614 Nonexclusive zones may include, but are not limited to, such
615 spaces as parking lots, athletic fields and stadiums, mechanical
616 buildings, playgrounds, bus ramps, agricultural spaces, and
617 other areas that do not give direct, unimpeded access to the
618 exclusive zone.
619 2.a. All school classrooms and other instructional spaces
620 must be locked to prevent ingress when occupied by students,
621 except between class periods when students are moving between
622 classrooms or other instructional spaces. If a classroom or
623 other instructional space door must be left unlocked or open for
624 any reason other than between class periods when students are
625 moving between classrooms or other instructional spaces, the
626 door must be actively staffed by a person standing or seated at
627 the door. All school classrooms and other instructional spaces
628 with a permanently installed door lock may also use temporary
629 door locks during an active assailant incident. The temporary
630 door lock must be able to be engaged or removed without opening
631 the door; must be easily removed in a single operation from the
632 egress side of the door without the use of a key and from the
633 ingress side of the door with the use of a key or other
634 credential; may be installed at any height; must otherwise be in
635 compliance with the Florida Fire Prevention Code; and must be
636 integrated into the active assailant response plan.
637 b. Instructional spaces for career and technical education
638 which are designed as open areas for which compliance with the
639 requirements of sub-subparagraph a. affects the health and
640 safety of students may be exempted from compliance with that
641 sub-subparagraph by the school safety specialist. To be exempt,
642 the school safety specialist, or his or her designee, must
643 document in the Florida Safe Schools Assessment Tool portal
644 maintained by the Office of Safe Schools that the instructional
645 space is exempt from these requirements due to negative impacts
646 to student health and safety and the presence of other safety
647 measures at the school that prevent egress from the
648 instructional space to hallways or other classrooms or
649 instructional spaces.
650 c. Common areas on a school campus, including, but not
651 limited to, cafeterias, auditoriums, and media centers, which
652 are used for instructional time or student testing must meet the
653 requirements of sub-subparagraph a. only when such areas are
654 being used for instructional time or student testing.
655 3. For schools that do not have a secure exclusive zone,
656 all campus access doors, gates, and other access points that
657 allow ingress to or egress from a school building shall remain
658 closed and locked at all times to prevent ingress, unless:
659 a. A person is actively entering or exiting the door, gate,
660 or other access point;
661 b. The door, gate, or access point is actively staffed by
662 school personnel to prevent unauthorized entry; or
663 c. The school safety specialist, or his or her designee,
664 has documented in the Florida Safe Schools Assessment Tool
665 portal maintained by the Office of Safe Schools that the open
666 and unlocked door, gate, or other access point is not subject to
667 this requirement based upon other safety measures at the school.
668 There must be at least one locked barrier between classrooms and
669 instructional spaces and open school campus.
670
671 The office may conduct a compliance visit pursuant to s.
672 1001.212(14) to review if such determination is appropriate. All
673 campus access doors, gates, and other access points may be
674 electronically or manually controlled by school personnel to
675 allow access by authorized visitors, students, and school
676 personnel.
677 4. All school classrooms and other instructional spaces
678 must clearly and conspicuously mark the safest areas in each
679 classroom or other instructional space where students must
680 shelter in place during an emergency. Students must be notified
681 of these safe areas within the first 10 days of the school year.
682 If it is not feasible to clearly and conspicuously mark the
683 safest areas in a classroom or other instructional space, the
684 school safety specialist, or his or her designee, must document
685 such determination in the Florida Safe Schools Assessment Tool
686 portal maintained by the Office of Safe Schools, identifying
687 where affected students must shelter in place. The office shall
688 assist the school safety specialist with compliance during the
689 inspection required under s. 1001.212(14).
690
691 Persons who are aware of a violation of this paragraph must
692 report the violation to the school principal. The school
693 principal must report the violation to the school safety
694 specialist no later than the next business day after receiving
695 such report. If the person who violated this paragraph is the
696 school principal or charter school administrator, the report
697 must be made directly to the district school superintendent or
698 charter school governing board, as applicable.
699 (h) Provision of school safety protocols and policies.—Each
700 substitute teacher must be provided all school safety protocols
701 and policies before beginning his or her first day of substitute
702 teaching at a school.
703 Section 5. Subsections (4) and (5) of section 1006.12,
704 Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
705 1006.12 Safe-school officers at each public school.—For the
706 protection and safety of school personnel, property, students,
707 and visitors, each district school board and school district
708 superintendent shall partner with law enforcement agencies or
709 security agencies to establish or assign one or more safe-school
710 officers at each school facility within the district, including
711 charter schools. A district school board must collaborate with
712 charter school governing boards to facilitate charter school
713 access to all safe-school officer options available under this
714 section. The school district may implement any combination of
715 the options in subsections (1)-(4) to best meet the needs of the
716 school district and charter schools.
717 (4) SCHOOL SECURITY GUARD.—A school district or charter
718 school governing board may contract with a security agency as
719 defined in s. 493.6101(18) to employ as a school security guard
720 an individual who holds a Class “D” and Class “G” license
721 pursuant to chapter 493, provided the following training and
722 contractual conditions are met:
723 (a) An individual who serves as a school security guard,
724 for purposes of satisfying the requirements of this section,
725 must:
726 1. Demonstrate completion of 144 hours of required training
727 conducted by a sheriff pursuant to s. 30.15(1)(k)2.
728 2. Pass a psychological evaluation administered by a
729 psychologist licensed under chapter 490 and designated by the
730 Department of Law Enforcement and submit the results of the
731 evaluation to the sheriff’s office, and school district, or
732 charter school governing board, or employing security agency, as
733 applicable. The Department of Law Enforcement is authorized to
734 provide the sheriff’s office, school district, or charter school
735 governing board, or employing security agency with mental health
736 and substance abuse data for compliance with this paragraph.
737 3. Submit to and pass an initial drug test and subsequent
738 random drug tests in accordance with the requirements of s.
739 112.0455 and the sheriff’s office, school district, or charter
740 school governing board, or employing security agency, as
741 applicable.
742 4. Be approved to work as a school security guard by the
743 sheriff of each county in which the school security guard will
744 be assigned to a school before commencing work at any school in
745 that county. The sheriff’s approval authorizes the security
746 agency to assign the school security guard to any school in the
747 county, and the sheriff’s approval is not limited to any
748 particular school.
749 5.4. Successfully complete ongoing training, weapon
750 inspection, and firearm qualification conducted by a sheriff
751 pursuant to s. 30.15(1)(k)2.e. on at least an annual basis and
752 provide documentation to the sheriff’s office, school district,
753 or charter school governing board, or employing security agency,
754 as applicable.
755 (b) The contract between a security agency and a school
756 district or a charter school governing board regarding
757 requirements applicable to school security guards serving in the
758 capacity of a safe-school officer for purposes of satisfying the
759 requirements of this section shall define the entity or entities
760 responsible for training and the responsibilities for
761 maintaining records relating to training, inspection, and
762 firearm qualification.
763 (c) School security guards serving in the capacity of a
764 safe-school officer pursuant to this subsection are in support
765 of school-sanctioned activities for purposes of s. 790.115, and
766 must aid in the prevention or abatement of active assailant
767 incidents on school premises.
768 (d) The Office of Safe Schools shall provide the Department
769 of Law Enforcement any information related to a school security
770 guard that the office receives pursuant to subsection (5).
771 (5) NOTIFICATION.—The district school superintendent or
772 charter school administrator, or a respective designee, shall
773 notify the county sheriff and the Office of Safe Schools
774 immediately after, but no later than 72 hours after:
775 (a) A safe-school officer is dismissed for misconduct or is
776 otherwise disciplined.
777 (b) A safe-school officer discharges his or her firearm in
778 the exercise of the safe-school officer’s duties, other than for
779 training purposes.
780
781 If a district school board, through its adopted policies,
782 procedures, or actions, denies a charter school access to any
783 safe-school officer options pursuant to this section, the school
784 district must assign a school resource officer or school safety
785 officer to the charter school. Under such circumstances, the
786 charter school’s share of the costs of the school resource
787 officer or school safety officer may not exceed the safe school
788 allocation funds provided to the charter school pursuant to s.
789 1011.62(12) and shall be retained by the school district.
790 Section 6. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025.