HF 438 (LSB 2305YH (2) 85)

HOUSE FILE 438

BY  ABDUL-SAMAD and GAINES

A BILL FOR

An Act relating to school resource officers and private security staff.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  Section 232.69, subsection 1, paragraph b, subparagraph (4), Code 2013, is amended to read as follows:
   (4)  A licensed school employee, certified para-educator, holder of a coaching authorization issued under section 272.31,
 
a school resource officer or an individual who performs private security duties on school district grounds as an employee of or under contract with a school district under section 279.8, subsection 5, or an instructor employed by a community college.
    Sec. 2.  Section 279.8, Code 2013, is amended to read as follows:
   279.8  General rules —— bonds of employees.
   1.  The board shall make rules for its own government and that of the directors, officers, employees, teachers and pupils, and for the care of the schoolhouse, grounds, and property of the school corporation, and shall aid in the enforcement of the rules, and require the performance of duties imposed by law and the rules.
   2.  The board shall include in its rules provisions regulating the loading and unloading of pupils from a school bus stopped on the highway during a period of reduced highway visibility caused by fog, snow or other weather conditions.
   3.  The board shall have the authority to include in its rules provisions allowing school corporation employees to use school credit cards to pay for the actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of work-related duties.
   4.  Employees of a school corporation maintaining a high school who have the custody of funds belonging to the corporation or funds derived from extracurricular activities and other sources in the conduct of their duties, shall be required to furnish suitable bond indemnifying the corporation or any activity group connected with the school against loss, and employees who have the custody of property belonging to the corporation or any activity group connected with the school may be required to furnish such bond. Said bond or bonds may be in such form and penalty as the board may approve and the premiums on same shall be paid from the general fund of the corporation.
   5.
  a.  A school district shall not employ or contract for the services of an individual as a school resource officer or to perform private security duties on school district grounds if the individual has not, at a minimum, met all of the following requirements:
   (1)  Successfully completed training that includes but is not limited to de-escalation techniques, anger management techniques, civil rights and unfair or discriminatory practices awareness, recognition of fake or altered identification, and cultural diversity training.
   (2)  Satisfied the training requirements of section 232.69.
   b.  This subsection applies only to individuals whose duties occur during the school day or whose duties otherwise require interaction with students.
EXPLANATION
   This bill provides that a school district cannot employ or contract for the services of an individual as a school resource officer or to perform private security duties on school district grounds if the individual has not, at a minimum, met certain training requirements. The individual must successfully complete training that includes but is not limited to de-escalation techniques, anger management techniques, civil rights and unfair or discriminatory practices awareness, recognition of fake or altered identification, cultural diversity training, and training relating to the identification and reporting of child abuse.
   The bill also provides that school resource officers and individuals who perform private security duties on school district grounds are mandatory reporters of child abuse under Code section 232.69.
   The bill applies only to individuals whose duties occur during the school day or whose duties otherwise require interaction with students.