ARIZONA STATE SENATE

AHJAHNA GRAHAM

LEGISLATIVE RESEARCH INTERN

 

CHERIE STONE

LEGISLATIVE RESEARCH ANALYST

HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE

Telephone: (602) 926-3171

RESEARCH STAFF

 

 

TO:                  MEMBERS OF THE SENATE

                        HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE

DATE:            February 19, 2019

SUBJECT:      Strike everything amendment to S.B. 1044, relating to safe schools; task force; report

 

Purpose

Requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI) to develop a Safe Schools Plan Task Force (Task Force) to identify successful strategies for partnerships with qualified health, mental health and social services agencies. Establishes Task Force membership and requirements.

Background

The School Safety Program (Program) within the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) was established to promote safe learning environments for students by supporting the costs of placing school resource officers (SROs) or juvenile probation officers (JPOs) on school campuses. A school district or charter school can participate in the Program by submitting a proposal to ADE. Program proposals must contain: 1) a detailed description of the school safety needs of the school district or charter school; 2) a plan for implementing a law-related education (LRE) program or a plan that demonstrates the existence of a LRE program as a school safety prevention strategy; 3) a plan to use trained SROs or JPOs in the school, or both; and 4) if the school district or charter school has already participated in the Program, they must provide information on the success of the Program.

            ADE reviews plans submitted by school districts and charter schools for participation in the Program and selects sites that are eligible to receive funding based on school safety needs. ADE is permitted to prioritize grants to school districts and charter schools that have agreements to share the cost of the SRO or JPO with a law enforcement agency or the courts (A.R.S. § 15-154).

            There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.

Provisions

1.      Requires the SPI to establish a Task Force within ADE to identify best practices, model programs and successful strategies to improve mental health supports in public schools.

2.      Requires that the Task Force include at least the following members:

a)      students and student organizations;

b)      administrators;

c)      counselors;

d)      licensed mental health professionals;

e)      law enforcement officers; and

f)       teachers.

3.      Requires the Task Force to:

a)      explore the potential use of advanced online youth emotional health and crisis response systems that have been developed for use in other states and countries;

b)      suggest to all school district governing boards a school safety plan that includes:

i.        reliable protocols and procedures for communicating with parents; and

ii.      training opportunities in recognition, screening and referral that may be available for school staff; and

c)      identify and develop partnerships with community organizations and agencies to refer students for health, mental, substance abuse and social support services.

4.      Directs the Task Force to submit a report, by December 31, 2021, to the Governor, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives (House) and the chairpersons of the House and Senate Education Committees that includes the findings, conclusions and recommendations of the Task Force.

5.      Requires the Task Force to submit a copy of the report to the Secretary of State.

6.      Repeals the Task Force on January 1, 2024.

7.      Becomes effective on the general effective date.