House Education committee members unanimously passed Senate Bill 89, which would require school districts to develop safety plans and conduct lockdown drills.

 

“We believe many of the schools in the state have a (lockdown) plan,” SASD Executive Director Rob Monson said. “(Schools) want to make sure students are safe and taken care of. This (bill) would keep students even safer.”

 

Committee members approved two amendments to the bill, including the removal of guidelines of exactly what the plan needed to contain. Sen. Larry Tidemann, the bill’s prime sponsor, said the guidelines may have been “too prescriptive.” Another amendment removed the meeting requirements prescribed in the bill for a school district’s safety team meeting.

 

ASBSD supports SB 89, which now moves to the House floor for review.