HB 6535 — AN ACT CONCERNING ISSUES RELATING TO SCHOOL SECURITY.

General Assembly SubstituteRaised Bill No.

6535 January Session, 2021 ANLCO ACTNo. CONCERNING ISSUES RELATING TO SCHOOL SECURITY.

3966 Referred to Committee on EDUCATION Introduced by:

(ED) AN ACT CONCERNING ISSUES RELATING TO SCHOOL SECURITY.

(Effective from passage) (a) ThereThe isDepartment establishedof Education shall convene a taskworking forcegroup to studyexamine the employment and role of school resource officers in public schools and to develop recommendations regarding whether school resource officers should continue to be employed or assigned in public schools, and,and if so, what their duties and role should be within the schools and community in which they are assigned.

(b) The taskworking forcegroup shall examine:

(1)Each memorandum ofunderstanding entered into betweenalocalbetween alocal and regional board of education and the local law enforcement agency, pursuant to section10-233mofthegeneralstatutes,thatsection10-233mofthegeneralstatutes, that outlinestherole and responsibility of school resource officers assigned to schools under the jurisdiction of such board;

(2)LCO TheNo. number and nature of instances of student discipline in which a school resource officer was involved, and whether such instances resulted in a student suspension, expulsion or school-based arrest, as defined in section 10-233n of the general statutes;

LCO3966 \\PRDFS1\HCOUSERS\BARRYJN\WS\2021HB-06535-R0111 of 5 HB.docxRaised Substitute Bill No.No.6535 (2) The number and nature of instances of student discipline in which a school resource officer was involved, and whether such instances resulted in a student suspension, expulsion or school-based arrest, as defined in section 10-233n of the general statutes;

6535 (3) The degree of involvement in and relationship of the school resource officer with the school community for which such school resource officer is assigned beyond interactions involving student discipline and school-based arrests;

(8)The(8)Thegrade grade levelstowhichaschoolresourceofficer isassigned;andisassigned; (9) Whether, on a state-wide, district and individual school level, a correlation exists between a school's climate for student success and the relationship established between local and regional boards of education and school resource officers as outlined in the memorandum of understanding described in subdivision (1) of this subsection, and the factors described in subdivisions (2) to (8), inclusive, of this subsection.

(c)and The(9) taskWhether, forceon shalla consiststate-wide, district and individual school level, a correlation exists between a school's climate for student success and the relationship established between local and regional boards of education and school resource officers as outlined in the followingmemorandum members:of understanding described in subdivision (1) of this subsection, and the factors described in subdivisions (2) to (8), inclusive, of this subsection.

(1)(c) ThreeThe appointedworking bygroup theshall speakerconsist of the Housefollowing ofmembers: Representatives, one of whom is a representative of the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education, one of whom is a school resource officer and one of whom is the parent or guardian of a student enrolled in a school in which a school resource officer is assigned or employed;

(2)(1) ThreeTwo appointeddesignated by the presidentConnecticut proAssociation temporeof Boards of theEducation,oneofwhomisamemberofaboardofeducationforaschool Senate,district onethat LCOemploys {\\PRDFS1\HCOUSERS\BARRYJN\WS\2021HB-06535-2a ofschool 5resource R01-HB.docxofficer }and Substituteone Billof whom is a LCO No.

65353966 of2 whom is a representative of the5 ConnecticutRaised AssociationBill ofNo.6535 Publicmember Schoolofa Superintendents,boardofeducationfor oneaschooldistrict ofthat whomassignsaschool is a school resource officer andto one of whom is the parent or guardianmore ofschools aunder studentits enrolledjurisdiction, inbut asuch school inresource whichofficer ais schoolemployed resourceby officerthe islocal assignedlaw orenforcement employed;agency;

(3)(2) Two appointeddesignated by the majorityConnecticut leaderAssociation of thePublic HouseSchool ofSuperintendents, Representatives, one of whom is a representativesuperintendent of Specialschools Educationfor Equityan forurban Kidsschool district that makes use of Connecticutone or more school resource officers and one of whom is a representativesuperintendent of theschools Connecticutfor Educationa Association;rural or suburban school district that makes use of one or more school resource officers;

(4)(3) Two appointeddesignated by the majorityConnecticut leaderAssociation of theSchool Senate,Administrators onewho ofare whomadministrators is a representative of theschools Juvenilein Justicewhich Policya andschool Oversightresource Committee,officer established pursuant to section 46b-121n of the general statutes, and one of whom is aassigned; representative of the American Federation of Teachers-Connecticut;

(5)(4) TwoOne appointeddesignated by the minorityConnecticut leaderEducation ofAssociation thewho Houseis ofa Representatives,teacher onein ofa whomschool isin which a school resource officer and one of whom is aassigned; representative of the Connecticut Association of School Administrators;

(6)(5) TwoOne appointeddesignated by the minorityAmerican leaderFederation of theTeachers- Senate,Connecticut onewho of whom is a schoolteacher resourcein officera andschool onein ofwhich whom is a memberschool ofresource theofficer Connecticutis Associationassigned; of Schools;

(7)(6) TwoSix appointeddesignated by the chairpersonConnecticut Police Chiefs Association, two of thewhom Blackare andpolice Puertochiefs Ricanfor Caucuslocal law enforcement agencies that have entered into a memorandum of understanding with a local or regional board of education for purpose of assigning school resource officers to schools in the Generalschool Assembly;district, two of whom are school resource officers in urban school districts and two of whom are school resource officers in rural or suburban school districts;

(8)and (7) The Commissioner of Education, or the commissioner's designee;designee.

(9)(d)Alldesignationstotheworkinggroupshallbemadenotlaterthan Thethirty Commissionerdays ofafter Emergencythe Serviceseffective anddate Publicof Protection,this orsection. the commissioner's designee;

andAny (10)vacancy Theshall Childbe Advocate,filled orby the Childdesignating Advocate'sauthority. designee.

(d)(e) AnyThe memberCommissioner of theEducation, taskor forcethe appointedcommissioner's underdesignee, subdivision (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6)or (7)ofsubsection(c)ofthis sectionmay beamember LCO {\\PRDFS1\HCOUSERS\BARRYJN\WS\2021HB-065353 of 5 R01-HB.docx } Substitute Bill No.

65353966 3 of 5 Raised Bill No.6535 shall serve as the Generalchairperson Assembly.of the working group.

(e)The Allchairperson initialshall appointmentsschedule tothe first meeting of the taskworking forcegroup, which shall be madeheld not later thanthirtythan daysaftersixty theeffectivedays dateafter ofthisthe section.Anyeffective vacancydate shallof bethis filledsection. by the appointing authority.

(f) TheNot speakerlater ofthan January 1, 2022, the Houseworking ofgroup Representativesshall submit a report on its findings and theany presidentrecommendations profor temporerevisions ofto the Senateequalization shallaid selectgrant formula to the chairpersonsjoint standing committee of the taskGeneral forceAssembly fromhaving amongcognizance theof membersmatters ofrelating theto taskeducation, force.inaccordancewiththeprovisionsofsection11-4aofthegeneralstatutes.

SuchThe chairpersonsworking group shall scheduleterminate thefirston meetingthe ofthedate taskthat force,it whichsubmits shallsuch beheldreport notor laterJanuary thansixty1, days2022, afterwhichever theis effectivelater. date of this section.

(g) The administrative staff of the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to education shall serve as administrative staff of the task force.

(h) Not later than July 1, 2022, the task force shall submit a report on its findings and any recommendations for revisions to the laws governing the use of school resource officers in schools to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to education, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes.

The task force shall terminate on the date that it submits such report or July 1, 2022, whichever is later.

(NEW) (Effective July 1, 2021) Not later than JanuaryJuly 1, 2023,2022, the Department of Education andshall Departmentdevelop ofa Emergencystate-wide Servicesplan LCOfor {\\PRDFS1\HCOUSERS\BARRYJN\WS\2021HB-065354responding ofto 5large-scale R01-HB.docxschool }crisis Substituteevents. Bill No.

6535 and Public Protection shall jointly develop a state-wide plan for responding to large-scale school crisis events.

Subsection (c) of section 10-222m of the general statutes is repealedLCO andNo. the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2021):

3966 4 of 5 Raised Bill No.

6535 repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2021):

4 July 1, 2021 10-222m(c) EDStatement Jointof FavorablePurpose: Subst.

C/RTo APP(1) LCOconvene {\\PRDFS1\HCOUSERS\BARRYJN\WS\2021HB-06535-5a working group to examine the employment and role of 5school R01-HB.docxresource }officers in public schools, (2) conduct a study to determine whether classroom doors that can be locked from the inside and outside of the classroom should be included in school safety infrastructure criteria, (3) require the Department of Education to develop a state-wide plan for responding to large-scale school crisis events, and (4) require the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection to conduct random audits to ensure that the school security and safety plans are being developed and implemented in schools.

that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not underlined.] LCO No.

3966 5 of 5