DES MOINES, Iowa – Two school safety bills advanced in the Iowa Legislature this week. First, the Iowa Senate Education Committee approved 11 to 5, HF 2586, a bill that requires school districts with enrollments over 8,000 students to employ at least one school resource officer (SRO) or private school security officer (PSSO) in buildings where high school students attend, unless a majority of school board members vote not to employ such a person. The bill encourages school districts with less enrollment to take part and creates a grant program with matching funds to help school districts fund these positions.
The bill passed the Iowa House by a 61 to 34 vote on February 28.
The bill also creates a new permit that allows a school employee to carry weapons. The permit requires the school employee to complete a prescribed firearms safety training course before being issued a permit. Those receiving permits shall also receive one-time, in-person legal training. Those with permits are also required to complete annual emergency medical training, and communications training approved by the Iowa Department of Public Safety. The department under the bill will implement required annual live scenario training and quarterly live firearm training for school employees of a school district, private school, or an institution of higher education that has opted into participating in the professional permitting of school employees.
Legislative Services Agency estimated the fiscal impact to the state to fully fund the School Security Personnel Grant fund would require $17.2 million per year, but could not predict the number of school districts that would apply for a matching school grant. They also estimated the fiscal impact to the Iowa Department of Public Safety for the eight new full-time positions required to support and train the private school security officers and armed school personnel to be $600,000. The cost of employing SROs or PSSOs in the 11 districts with over 8,000 in enrollment they estimate will not to exceed $2.5 million.
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The Iowa House passed, 55 to 39, a second bill this week, HF 2652, that requires school districts to complete a comprehensive review of their school safety and emergency response plans and submit the review to law enforcement before the 2024-2025 school year. The bill also creates a fund to install radios capable of accessing the Statewide Interoperable Communications System in all school buildings that do not currently have them. This radio system helped law enforcement coordinate their response to the shooting at Perry High School earlier this year. The bill also creates a school safety and security infrastructure task force that will study and make recommendations related to the safety and security standards of schools and school infrastructure
The bill also implements firearm detection software in three schools of different sizes appropriating $3,000,000 for a pilot program. It also establishes a task force to create recommended school safety standards in building codes. Beginning in 2026, under the legislation, schools are required to meet those safety standards before using any SAVE funds on athletic facility projects.
Read the bill below:
HF2652
