House File 2586 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 2586 BY COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC SAFETY (SUCCESSOR TO HSB 675) A BILL FOR An Act relating to school security, including by establishing 1 the school security personnel grant program within the 2 department of education and authorizing school employees to 3 be issued professional permits to carry weapons. 4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 5 TLSB 6276HV (2) 90 jda/jh

H.F. 2586 Section 1. NEW SECTION . 279.84 School security personnel 1 —— grant program. 2 1. For purposes of this section: 3 a. “Private school security officer” means an individual 4 employed by a private security business who possesses a permit 5 to carry weapons issued under section 724.6. 6 b. “Private security business” means the same as defined in 7 section 80A.1. 8 c. “School resource officer” means any of the following: 9 (1) A peace officer as defined in section 801.4. 10 (2) A reserve peace officer as defined in section 80D.1A. 11 2. The board of directors of each school district with 12 a total enrollment of at least eight thousand students shall 13 employ, or retain the services of, at least one private school 14 security officer or school resource officer to guard each 15 attendance center where students enrolled in grades nine 16 through twelve regularly attend classes, unless a majority of 17 the members of the board of directors of the school district 18 vote to not employ or retain a private school security officer 19 or a school resource officer. A private school security 20 officer employed or retained by the board of directors of a 21 school district pursuant to this subsection shall be required 22 to participate in the annual live scenario training and 23 quarterly live firearms training provided by the department 24 of public safety pursuant to section 724.6, subsection 1, 25 paragraph “a” , subparagraph (3). 26 3. The board of directors of each school district with 27 a total enrollment of less than eight thousand students is 28 encouraged to employ, or retain the services of, at least one 29 private school security officer or school resource officer to 30 guard each attendance center where students enrolled in grades 31 nine through twelve regularly attend classes. A private school 32 security officer employed or retained by the board of directors 33 of a school district pursuant to this subsection shall be 34 required to participate in the annual live scenario training 35 -1- LSB 6276HV (2) 90 jda/jh 1/ 6

H.F. 2586 and quarterly live firearms training provided by the department 1 of public safety pursuant to section 724.6, subsection 1, 2 paragraph “a” , subparagraph (3). 3 4. The department of education shall develop and administer 4 a school security personnel grant program to provide annual 5 grants to match moneys provided by a school district described 6 in subsection 2 or 3 to allow such school districts to offset 7 costs associated with employing, or retaining the services of, 8 a private school security officer or school resource officer to 9 guard each attendance center providing education to students 10 enrolled in grades nine through twelve. The amount of an 11 annual grant provided by the department of education to a 12 school district that has provided matching moneys pursuant to 13 this subsection shall not exceed fifty thousand dollars. 14 5. A school security personnel grant program fund 15 is established in the state treasury. The fund shall be 16 administered by the department of education and shall consist 17 of moneys appropriated by the general assembly and other moneys 18 received by the department for deposit in the fund. The moneys 19 in the fund are appropriated to the department for the school 20 security personnel grant program. Notwithstanding section 21 8.33, moneys in the fund at the close of the fiscal year shall 22 not revert to the general fund of the state but shall remain 23 available for expenditure for the school security personnel 24 grant program for subsequent fiscal years. 25 Sec. 2. Section 724.6, subsection 1, paragraph a, Code 2024, 26 is amended by adding the following new subparagraph: 27 NEW SUBPARAGRAPH . (3) A person may be issued a permit 28 to carry weapons if the person is a school employee of a 29 school district, a private school, or an institution of higher 30 education as defined in section 722.11. The person shall 31 complete a prescribed firearm safety training course offered 32 pursuant to section 724.9, subsection 1, prior to being issued 33 a permit, and not be disqualified under section 724.8. A 34 person issued a permit to carry weapons under this subparagraph 35 -2- LSB 6276HV (2) 90 jda/jh 2/ 6

H.F. 2586 shall receive one-time, in-person legal training, including 1 training on qualified immunity, annual emergency medical 2 training, and annual communication training that is approved 3 by the department of public safety. The department of public 4 safety shall implement required annual live scenario training 5 and quarterly live firearm training for school employees of a 6 school district, a private school, or an institution of higher 7 education that has opted into participating in the professional 8 permitting of school employees. A school employee issued a 9 professional permit to carry by the department of public safety 10 who is up to date with department of public safety-approved 11 training, and the school district that employs the school 12 employee, shall be entitled to qualified immunity from criminal 13 or civil liability for all damages incurred pursuant to the 14 application of reasonable force at the place of employment. 15 The identity of a person who has been issued a permit pursuant 16 to this subparagraph shall be confidential and shall not be a 17 public record subject to disclosure under chapter 22. 18 Sec. 3. Section 724.6, subsection 2, Code 2024, is amended 19 to read as follows: 20 2. Notwithstanding subsection 1 , fire fighters, as defined 21 in section 411.1, subsection 10 , airport fire fighters included 22 under section 97B.49B , school employees, and emergency medical 23 care providers other than emergency medical care providers 24 specified in subsection 1 , paragraph “a” , subparagraph (2), 25 shall not, as a condition of employment, be required to obtain 26 a permit under this section . However, the provisions of 27 this subsection shall not apply to a person designated as an 28 arson investigator by the chief fire officer of a political 29 subdivision. 30 EXPLANATION 31 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 32 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 33 This bill relates to school security, including by 34 establishing the school security personnel grant program within 35 -3- LSB 6276HV (2) 90 jda/jh 3/ 6

H.F. 2586 the department of education, and authorizing school employees 1 to be issued professional permits to carry weapons. 2 The bill requires all school districts with a total 3 enrollment of at least 8,000 students to employ, or retain the 4 services of, at least one private school security officer or 5 school resource officer to guard each attendance center where 6 students enrolled in grades 9 through 12 regularly attend 7 classes, unless a majority of the members of the board of 8 directors of the school district vote to not employ or retain a 9 private school security officer or a school resource officer. 10 The bill encourages all school districts with a total 11 enrollment of less than 8,000 students to employ, or retain 12 the services of, at least one private school security officer 13 or school resource officer to guard each attendance center 14 where students enrolled in grades 9 through 12 regularly 15 attend classes. The bill requires the department of education 16 to develop and administer a school security personnel grant 17 program to provide annual grants to match moneys provided by 18 such school districts to allow the school districts to offset 19 costs associated with employing, or retaining the services of, 20 a private school security officer or school resource officer. 21 The bill provides that the amount of an annual grant provided 22 by the department to a school district that has provided 23 matching moneys pursuant to this provision shall not exceed 24 $50,000. The bill establishes a school security personnel 25 grant program fund in the state treasury to be administered by 26 the department. 27 The bill defines “private school security officer” to 28 mean an individual employed by a private security business 29 who possesses a permit to carry weapons issued under Code 30 section 724.6 (professional permit to carry weapons). The bill 31 requires a private school security officer employed or retained 32 by the board of directors of a school district to participate 33 in the annual live scenario training and quarterly live firearm 34 training sessions described below. The bill defines “private 35 -4- LSB 6276HV (2) 90 jda/jh 4/ 6

H.F. 2586 security business” as a business of furnishing, for hire or 1 reward, guards, watch personnel, armored car personnel, patrol 2 personnel, or other persons to protect persons or property, 3 to prevent the unlawful taking of goods and merchandise, or 4 to prevent the misappropriation or concealment of goods, 5 merchandise, money, securities, or other valuable documents 6 or papers, and includes an individual who for hire patrols, 7 watches, or guards a residential, industrial, or business 8 property or district. Additionally, the bill defines “school 9 resource officer” as either a peace officer, as defined in Code 10 section 801.4, or a reserve peace officer, as defined in Code 11 section 80D.1A. 12 The bill provides that a person may be issued a permit 13 to carry weapons if the person is a school employee of a 14 school district, a private school, or an institution of 15 higher education. The person shall complete a prescribed 16 firearm safety training course offered pursuant to Code 17 section 724.9(1), prior to being issued a permit, and not be 18 ineligible for a permit to carry under Code section 724.8. 19 A person issued a permit to carry weapons is required to 20 receive one-time, in-person legal training, including training 21 on qualified immunity, annual emergency medical training, 22 and annual communication training that is approved by the 23 department of public safety. The department of public safety 24 is required to implement annual live scenario training and 25 quarterly live firearm training for school employees. 26 The bill provides that a school employee issued a 27 professional permit to carry by the department of public safety 28 after completing department of public safety-approved training, 29 and the school district that employs the school employee, is 30 entitled to qualified immunity from criminal or civil liability 31 for all damages incurred pursuant to the application of 32 reasonable force at the place of employment. The bill provides 33 that the identity of a person who has been issued a permit 34 pursuant to this provision is confidential and shall not be a 35 -5- LSB 6276HV (2) 90 jda/jh 5/ 6

H.F. 2586 public record subject to disclosure. 1 The bill provides that a school employee shall not be 2 required, as a condition of employment, to obtain a permit. 3 -6- LSB 6276HV (2) 90 jda/jh 6/ 6