Assigned to PS                                                                                                              AS PASSED BY HOUSE

 

 

 

 


ARIZONA STATE SENATE

Fifty-Seventh Legislature, Second Regular Session

 

AMENDED

FACT SHEET FOR S.B. 1315

 

public schools; interoperable communications; requirements

Purpose

Requires each school district and charter school that receives monies from the state or a local law enforcement agency (LEA) for interoperable communications to establish and maintain interoperable communications capabilities that include specified mechanisms to notify and communicate with local LEAs during a school emergency. Outlines reporting requirements on public schools and the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) relating to the requirement to maintain interoperable communications capabilities.

Background

Each school district governing board and charter school governing body must develop an emergency response plan for each school in conjunction with local LEAs and emergency response agencies and in accordance with the minimum standards developed by ADE and the Division of Emergency Management within the Department of Emergency and Military Affairs. A school district's or charter school's emergency response plan must address how the school and emergency responders will communicate with and provide assistance to students with disabilities (A.R.S.
§§ 15-183 and 15-341).

Statute requires the Arizona Department of Administration to distribute School Safety Interoperability Fund monies to a county sheriff or city or town police department that establishes a school safety program. School Safety Interoperability Fund monies may be used only for a school safety program that: 1) encompasses schools throughout Arizona; 2) enables the deployment of a secure, multimedia data communications system for public safety agencies and public schools;
3) provides a communications solution environment that allows for identification, secure messaging, information sharing and alarm system integration as outlined; 4) is capable of being deployed to end users on existing communication assets; 5) allows each participating entity to maintain real-time communication; 6) encrypts all media communications; 7) is certified under the federal Support Anti-Terrorism by Fostering Effective Technologies Act; 8) is compatible with the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency Interoperable Gateway System for disaster communications; 9) ensures student and staff privacy; and 10) enables integration to school access control to allow remote lockdown by law enforcement (A.R.S. § 41-1733).

School building blueprints and floor plans are not public records and are exempt from public record requirements (A.R.S. § 15-154).

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

Provisions

1.   Requires, if a school district or charter school receives monies from the state or a local LEA for interoperable communications, the school district or charter school to select or develop technology, a system or a method to establish and maintain interoperable communications capabilities that include:

a)   a mechanism that enables designated school personnel to notify local LEAs in real time if an emergency occurs at the school;

b)   a mechanism that enables the school district or charter school to securely transmit the current map of each school campus and floor plan of each school building to local LEAs in a printable format; and

c)   a mechanism that enables designated school personnel to communicate with local LEAs and law enforcement officers in real time during an emergency at the school.

2.   Requires, by July 1, 2027, and July 1 of each year thereafter, each school district and charter school that establishes and maintains interoperable communications capabilities to submit to ADE an affidavit attesting that the school district or charter school:

a)   is maintaining the interoperable communications capabilities as prescribed;

b)   has transmitted the current maps and floor plans to local LEAs through the required mechanism; and

c)   has tested each required mechanism at least once during the preceding year to ensure that the school district or charter school is able to communicate with the local LEA in whose jurisdiction that school district or charter school is located.

3.   Requires ADE to:

a)   prescribe the form and manner of the annual affidavit;

b)   develop guidelines and best practices to assist school districts and charter schools in meeting the interoperable communications capabilities requirements;

c)   compile the affidavits submitted by school districts and charter schools; and

d)   provide an annual statewide interoperability readiness report to the Governor, the Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives and provide a copy of the report to the Secretary of State.

4.   Requires, if a local LEA has monies available to establish and maintain interoperable communications capabilities with school districts and charter schools located within the LEA's jurisdiction, the LEA to notify each school district and charter school and offer to provide monies to the school district or charter school to establish and maintain interoperable communications capabilities as prescribed.

5.   Requires, if a local LEA does not have sufficient monies to establish and maintain interoperable communications capabilities with each school district and charter school located within the LEA's jurisdiction, the LEA to:

a)   select school districts and charter schools for which sufficient monies are available to establish and maintain interoperable communications capabilities;

b)    notify each selected school district and charter school that the school district or charter school has been selected and offer to provide monies to the school district or charter school to establish and maintain interoperable communications capabilities; and

c)   if a school district or charter school declines the local LEA's offer, select another school district or charter school that is located within the local LEA's jurisdiction and for which sufficient monies are available to establish and maintain interoperable communications capabilities.

6.   Becomes effective on the general effective date.

Amendments Adopted by the House of Representatives

1.   Applies the requirement to establish and maintain interoperable communications capabilities only to school districts and charter schools that receive monies from the state or a local LEA for interoperable communications.

2.   Removes the exemption from the requirement to establish and maintain interoperable communications capabilities for school districts and charter schools that use a communications system that is deployed using School Safety Interoperability Fund monies and satisfies the prescribed requirements.

3.   Specifies that only school districts and charter schools that establish and maintain interoperable communications capabilities as prescribed must submit the outlined affidavit to ADE.

4.   Requires a local LEA to notify school districts and charter schools located within the local LEA's jurisdiction as outlined of whether the local LEA has monies available for the school district or charter school to establish and maintain interoperable communications capabilities as prescribed.

5.   Makes technical and conforming changes.

Senate Action                                                          House Action

ED                   2/5/26        W/D                               ED                3/24/26        DPA       7-1-2-2                            

PS                    2/18/26      DP       7-0-0                   3rd Read       4/20/26                                            25-25-9-0-1

3rd Read          3/3/26                    17-13-0               3rd Read*     6/9/26                         31-24-5

*on reconsideration

Prepared by Senate Research

June 9, 2026

MH/hk