BILL ANALYSIS Ó
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THIRD READING
Bill No: SB 316
Author: Block (D)
Amended: 5/28/13
Vote: 21
SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE : 9-0, 5/1/13
AYES: Liu, Wyland, Block, Correa, Hancock, Hueso, Huff,
Jackson, Monning
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : 7-0, 5/23/13
AYES: De León, Walters, Gaines, Hill, Lara, Padilla, Steinberg
SUBJECT : School safety: door locks
SOURCE : California Federation of Teachers
DIGEST : This bill requires modernization projects submitted
to the Division of the State Architect (DSA) under the State
School Facility Program to include locks that allow classrooms
and rooms with an occupancy of five persons or more to be locked
from the inside as a condition for receipt of state bond funds
beginning January 1, 2016, and requires, if federal funds become
available for purposes of school safety, that school districts
first consider using these funds to install locks in every
classroom and room with an occupancy of five persons or more.
ANALYSIS : Existing law provides, as a condition of receipt of
state bond funds, that all new construction projects submitted
to the DSA include locks that allow classrooms and rooms with an
occupancy of five persons or more to be locked from the inside
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and that these locks conform to Title 24 California Code of
Regulations specifications and requirements. Existing law
exempts doors locked from the outside at all times and pupil
restrooms from these requirements.
Existing law provides for a variety of grants and funding to
support school districts in selecting from a variety of options
to promote school safety. These options can include the
addition of personnel, school safety infrastructure projects,
training for school staff, instruction and curriculum for
students, and cooperative agreements with local law enforcement
and community groups. These include:
1.The inclusion of hard-wired phone connections to a public
telephone network in new or modernized classrooms, with the
authorization to meet this requirement through the use of
wireless technology.
2.The required development of a comprehensive school safety plan
relevant to the needs and resources of the particular school.
3.The Carl Washington School Safety and Violence Prevention Act,
which creates a grant program to fund, among other things,
effective and accessible on-campus communication devices and
other school safety infrastructure needs.
4.The School Safety Violence Prevention Act which provides for
competitive grants for school districts that demonstrate a
collaborative and coordinated approach for implementing a
comprehensive school safety and violence prevention strategy.
5.The School Safety Consolidated Grant Program.
This bill:
1.Requires that all modernization projects submitted to the
Division of the State Architect under the State School
Facility Program include locks that allow classrooms and rooms
with an occupancy of five persons or more to be locked from
the inside as a condition for receipt of state education bond
funds beginning January 1, 2016.
2.Applies only to modernization projects that are funded by the
proceeds of the bond for school facilities that is approved by
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the voters on or after January 1, 2014, as specified.
3.Requires, if federal funding becomes available for purposes of
school safety, that school districts first consider using
these funds to install locks that allow every classroom and
room with an occupancy of five persons or more to be locked
from the inside.
4.Requires locks to conform to Title 24 California Code of
Regulations specifications and requirements.
5.Exempts doors locked from the outside at all times and pupil
restrooms from these requirements.
6.SBE shall adopt regulations to adjust the modernization
per-pupil grant allowance to reflect the associated cost of
installing the locks, as specified.
Comments
Related State Allocation Board Subcommittee meeting . In March
2013, the State Allocation Board Program Review Subcommittee met
to review physical safety on school campuses. Information was
provided by both the California Emergency Management Agency and
the California Department of Education (CDE). Among other
things, the CDE noted that school infrastructure security
measures can include safe rooms (classroom locks) communication
systems, environmental design to deter criminal behavior, and
consistent maintenance of school buildings. In addition, the
California Emergency Management Agency (Cal EMA) reported that
it provides emergency preparedness information and resources for
schools throughout California, in partnership with the
California Department of Education (CDE). In response to the
Sandy Hook incident, Cal EMA designed a School Active Shooter
seminar which brings together schools and local law enforcement,
fire and emergency services to prepare for such an incident.
Cal EMA reports that several of these seminars have already
occurred and more are in the scheduling process.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: Yes
According to the Senate Appropriations Committee, the
requirements of this bill are conditions for receipt of state
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bond funds for modernization projects, the new bond funding a
school receives will pay the cost of this bill, but puts
pressure on the bond funding by directing money toward a new
requirement.
Locks: Potentially significant costs to schools to
purchase specified locks for each classroom. Each lock
costs approximately $300.
Installation: Significant costs to schools to have the
locks installed in every classroom, which would likely be
funded from the school's base modernization grant and limit
funding for other modernization purposes.
Mandate: The requirement that, if federal funds for
school safety become available, schools consider using the
funds for specified door locks is unlikely to drive new
reimbursable costs.
SUPPORT : (Verified 5/28/13)
California Federation of Teachers (source)
California Association of Joint Powers Authorities
California Labor Federation
California School Employees Association
California State Parent Teacher Association
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT : According to the author, the school
shooting tragedies in Newtown, Connecticut and Taft, California
require a rethinking of safety procedures, including additional
protections against campus intruders. While current law
requires interior locks on schools built after July 1, 2011, and
schools currently have the authority to retrofit their doors
with such mechanisms (and some have), this bill will ensure that
students and teachers across the state are equally protected
from intruders, regardless of the age of their campus.
PQ:nl 5/28/13 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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