House File 2162 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 2162 BY WILLS A BILL FOR An Act relating to persons authorized to carry firearms on 1 school grounds, including in a school building. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 5340YH (3) 88 js/rh
H.F. 2162 Section 1. Section 724.4B, subsection 2, Code 2020, is 1 amended by adding the following new paragraph: 2 NEW PARAGRAPH . d. A person designated by a governing school 3 body pursuant to subsection 3. 4 Sec. 2. Section 724.4B, Code 2020, is amended by adding the 5 following new subsection: 6 NEW SUBSECTION . 3. a. As used in this subsection: 7 (1) “Governing school body” means the board of directors 8 of each public school district or the authorities in charge of 9 each nonpublic school. 10 (2) “School grounds” includes a school building. 11 b. A governing school body is authorized to designate 12 one person per one hundred students, or a fraction of one 13 hundred if there are more than one hundred students in a school 14 building, to be armed with a firearm to assist in providing 15 safety to students and personnel in that school building. The 16 number of students shall be the number enrolled at the end of 17 the previous school year. Such person shall be recommended by 18 the county sheriff for the county in which the greatest number 19 of students of the school district or nonpublic school reside. 20 In addition to firearm safety training required to obtain a 21 permit to carry weapons, the person shall have completed school 22 safety training approved by the county sheriff. 23 c. The county sheriff shall approve the type of firearm 24 a designated person shall be allowed to carry on the school 25 grounds. 26 d. The designated person shall have immunity from 27 prosecution or damage claims when the person acts within the 28 scope of the person’s authority granted by a governing school 29 body to protect students and school personnel in the school 30 building in which the person is authorized to be armed. 31 e. A person’s designation pursuant to this subsection shall 32 be valid for the school year in which the person is designated 33 unless the governing school body votes to remove the person’s 34 designation prior to the end of the school year. The governing 35 -1- LSB 5340YH (3) 88 js/rh 1/ 2
H.F. 2162 school body may designate the person for additional school 1 years without requiring additional school safety training. 2 However, the county sheriff may recommend and the governing 3 school body may approve additional training. 4 EXPLANATION 5 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 6 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 7 This bill relates to persons authorized to carry firearms on 8 school grounds, including in a school building. 9 Current law generally prohibits a person from going armed 10 with, carrying, or transporting a firearm of any kind on school 11 grounds. The bill authorizes a governing school body, as 12 defined in the bill, to designate 1 person per 100 students, 13 or a fraction of 100 if there are more than 100 students in 14 a school building, to be armed with a firearm to assist in 15 providing safety to students and personnel in that school 16 building. The person shall be recommended by the county 17 sheriff for the county in which a majority of the students 18 in the school district or nonpublic school reside and the 19 individual shall have completed school safety training approved 20 by the county sheriff. The county sheriff shall approve the 21 type of firearm the person shall be allowed to carry on the 22 school grounds. The bill provides immunity from prosecution 23 or damage claims to the person if the person acts within the 24 scope of the person’s authority granted by a governing school 25 body to protect students or personnel in the school building 26 in which the person is authorized to be armed. The designated 27 person shall serve for the school year in which the person is 28 designated unless the governing school body votes to remove the 29 person’s designation prior to the end of the school year. The 30 governing school body may designate the person to serve for 31 additional years without requiring additional training, but the 32 county sheriff may recommend and the governing school body may 33 approve additional training. 34 -2- LSB 5340YH (3) 88 js/rh 2/ 2