Pupils with exceptional needs: individualized education programs: emergency safety procedures.

Existing law requires local educational agencies to identify, locate, and assess individuals with exceptional needs and to provide those pupils with a free appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment, with special education and related services as reflected in an individualized education program. Existing law provides that school districts and county offices of education are responsible for the overall development of a comprehensive school safety plan for each of its schools operating a kindergarten or any of grades 1 to 12, inclusive. This bill would require the individualized education program for a pupil with exceptional needs to include, if the procedures in the comprehensive school safety plan are insufficient to ensure the pupil's safety in an emergency at the pupil's current schoolsite, a description of the necessary accommodations to those procedures. The bill would require, if the pupil transfers to a different schoolsite, the individualized education program team, in consultation with the parents or guardians of the pupil, to within 30 days of the transfer meet to review and update the description of the necessary accommodations based on the procedures in the comprehensive school safety plan applicable to that schoolsite. The bill would require a local educational agency, as defined, to create and maintain an Inclusive School Emergency Plan and would require that those safety procedures be included in the Inclusive School Emergency Plan for any pupil whose parent provides written consent in compliance with specified federal law. The bill would require a physical copy of the Inclusive School Emergency Plan to be kept at every schoolsite under the jurisdiction of the local educational agency and would require the Inclusive School Emergency Plan to be maintained and used in compliance with all applicable state and federal privacy laws. The bill would require a comprehensive school safety plan to include procedures for the use of the Inclusive School Emergency Plan, the location of the Inclusive School Emergency Plan at the schoolsite, and the persons or classes of persons who have access to the Inclusive School Emergency Plan. The bill would make these provisions effective commencing with the 2024–25 school year. By imposing additional requirements on local educational agencies, 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.