New law meant to improve school safety in Florida

FLORIDA — Several measures intended to improve school safety in Florida were signed into law this week.

The steps taken by HB 1421 help implement additional recommendations of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission to make schools safer and improve youth mental health in Florida, according to the Office of the Governor.

The state budget includes $140 million for mental health and $210 million for school safety, including school hardening grants and youth mental health awareness and assistance training.

HB 1421 does the following, according to the governor’s office:

• Extends the sunset of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission
• Authorizes the Commissioner of Education to enforce, rather than just oversee, school safety and security compliance

• Authorizes safe school officers to make arrests on charter school property
• Requires all safe school officers to complete crisis intervention and training to improve knowledge and skills for response and de-escalate incidents on school premises
• Requires law enforcement officers to be present and involved in active assailant emergency drills
• Requires school boards to adopt family reunification plans in the event of an evacuation
• Requires that school districts must annually certify that at least 80 percent of school personnel have received mandatory youth mental health awareness training