School safety plans.

Existing law requires school districts and county offices of education to be responsible for the overall development of a comprehensive school safety plan for each of its schools operating kindergarten or any of grades 1 to 12, inclusive. Existing law requires the schoolsite council of a school to write and develop the comprehensive school safety plan relevant to the needs and resources of that particular school, in consultation with a representative from a law enforcement agency, a fire department, and other first responder entities. Existing law requires the plan to include specified components, including procedures for conducting tactical responses to criminal incidents. Existing law requires a petition to establish a charter school to include, among other things, a reasonably comprehensive description of the procedures that the charter school will follow to ensure the health and safety of pupils and staff, including requiring the development and annual update of a school safety plan that includes certain safety topics and procedures. This bill would require a comprehensive school safety plan, and the school safety plan of a charter school, to include a targeted violence prevention plan that, among other things, establishes a multidisciplinary threat assessment team of school personnel who will direct, manage, and document the threat assessment process, as prescribed. The bill would authorize, upon a preliminary determination by the threat assessment team that an individual poses a threat of violence to themself or others, any state or local agency or program that provides services to the individual to share with any other state or local agency or program records or information that are confidential or exempt from disclosure if the records or information are reasonably necessary to evaluate the threat, ensure access to appropriate services for the individual, or ensure the safety of the individual or others. The bill would also require a school district, county office of education, or charter school that has a memorandum of understanding with a local law enforcement agency to incorporate the applicable targeted violence prevention plan requirements into that memorandum of understanding. Under existing law the Legislature encourages, as comprehensive school safety plans are reviewed and updated, all plans, to the extent that resources are available, to include policies and procedures aimed at the prevention of bullying and to include clear guidelines for the roles and responsibilities of mental health professionals, community intervention professionals, school counselors, school resource officers, and police officers on school campuses, if the school district uses these people. This bill would require, rather than encourage, comprehensive school safety plans, and school safety plans of charter schools, to include those elements as the plans are reviewed and updated. By imposing additional requirements on school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools in relation to school safety plans, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.