SB 2599

Present law generally limits authorization to conduct searches on school property to school resources officers, school security officers, and properly trained school administrators. This bill adds authorization for a properly trained school employee desi gnated by a school principal to conduct such a search. Present law requires an LEA that receives credible information regarding a threat of violence or significantly disruptive behavior directed toward, or occurring on the grounds of, a public school in the LEA, and that reports the threat or disruptive behav ior to a state or local law enforcement agency, to also notify the parents and guardians of students enrolled in the public school of the same threat or disruptive behavior the LEA reported to law enforcement. This bill specifies that, under such circums t ances, the LEA is only required to notify students' parents and guardians of the threat if the LEA determines that the threat or disruptive behavior is credible following a threat assessment conducted pursuant to a policy of the local board of education or a threat assessment protocol approved by the department of education. Similarly, the present law requirement that a threat be reported to students' parents and guardians within 48 hours of making the report to law enforcement is changed to require that t he notification of parents and guardians occur within 48 hours the LEA determining that the threat of violence or significantly disruptive behavior is credible. This bill specifies that t he involvement of a n SRO or an armed school security officer, or any consultation by a n SRO , armed school security officer, or any other administrative staff or school personnel with a state or local law enforcement agency or the department of safety for purposes of assessing, investigating, or requesting assistance with a threat of violence or significantly disruptive behavior does not, on its own, constitute a determination by the LEA that the threat or disruptive behavior is credible for purposes of triggering the parental notification requirement . This bill also makes technical clarifications to present law reporting requirements concerning quarterly reports of the number of reported incidences of threats of violence or significantly disruptive behavior in order to clarify that in those incidence s determined to be credi ble must be included in the quarterly reports.