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House Study Bill 675 - IntroducedA Bill ForAn Act 1relating to school security, including by requiring
2certain school districts to employ or retain school security
3personnel, establishing the school security personnel grant
4program within the department of education, and authorizing
5school employees to be issued professional permits to carry
6weapons.
7BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
1 Section 1. NEW SECTION. 279.84 School security personnel
2— grant program.
31. For purposes of this section:
4a. “Private school security officer” means an individual
5employed by a private security business who possesses a permit
6to carry weapons issued under section 724.6.
7b. “Private security business” means the same as defined in
8section 80A.1.
9c. “School resource officer” means the same as defined in
1034 U.S.C.§10389.
112. The board of directors of each school district with
12a total enrollment of at least eight thousand students shall
13employ, or retain the services of, at least one private school
14security officer or school resource officer to guard each
15attendance center where students enrolled in grades nine
16through twelve regularly attend classes. A private school
17security officer employed or retained by the board of directors
18of a school district pursuant to this subsection shall be
19required to participate in the annual live scenario training
20and quarterly live firearms training provided by the department
21of public safety pursuant to section 724.6, subsection 1,
22paragraph “a”, subparagraph (3).
233. a. The board of directors of each school district with
24a total enrollment of less than eight thousand students is
25encouraged to employ, or retain the services of, at least one
26private school security officer or school resource officer
27to guard each attendance center where students enrolled in
28grades nine through twelve regularly attend classes. A private
29school security officer employed or retained by the board of
30directors of a school district pursuant to this paragraph shall
31be required to participate in the annual live scenario training
32and quarterly live firearms training provided by the department
33of public safety pursuant to section 724.6, subsection 1,
34paragraph “a”, subparagraph (3).
35b. The department of education shall develop and administer
-1-1a school security personnel grant program to provide annual
2grants to match moneys provided by a school district described
3in paragraph “a” to allow such school districts to offset costs
4associated with employing, or retaining the services of, a
5private school security officer or school resource officer to
6guard each attendance center providing education to students
7enrolled in grades nine through twelve. The amount of an
8annual grant provided by the department of education to a
9school district that has provided matching moneys pursuant to
10this paragraph shall not exceed fifty thousand dollars.
114. A school security personnel grant program fund
12is established in the state treasury. The fund shall be
13administered by the department of education and shall consist
14of moneys appropriated by the general assembly and other moneys
15received by the department for deposit in the fund. The moneys
16in the fund are appropriated to the department for the school
17security personnel grant program. Notwithstanding section
188.33, moneys in the fund at the close of the fiscal year shall
19not revert to the general fund of the state but shall remain
20available for expenditure for the school security personnel
21grant program for subsequent fiscal years.
22 Sec. 2. Section 724.6, subsection 1, paragraph a, Code 2024,
23is amended by adding the following new subparagraph:
24 NEW SUBPARAGRAPH. (3) A person may be issued a permit
25to carry weapons if the person is a school employee of a
26school district, a private school, or an institution of higher
27education as defined in section 722.11 that has not opted out
28of participating in the professional permitting of school
29employees. The person shall complete a prescribed firearm
30safety training course offered pursuant to section 724.9,
31subsection 1, prior to being issued a permit, and not be
32disqualified under section 724.8. A person issued a permit to
33carry weapons under this subparagraph shall receive one-time,
34in-person legal training, including training on qualified
35immunity, annual emergency medical training, and annual
-2-1communication training that is approved by the department of
2public safety. The department of public safety shall implement
3required annual live scenario training and quarterly live
4firearm training for school employees of a school district,
5a private school, or an institution of higher education that
6has opted into participating in the professional permitting
7of school employees. A school employee issued a professional
8permit to carry by the department of public safety who is up
9to date with department of public safety-approved training
10shall be entitled to qualified immunity from criminal or civil
11liability for all damages incurred pursuant to the application
12of reasonable force at the place of employment.
13 Sec. 3. Section 724.6, subsection 2, Code 2024, is amended
14to read as follows:
152. Notwithstanding subsection 1, fire fighters, as defined
16in section 411.1, subsection 10, airport fire fighters included
17under section 97B.49B, school employees, and emergency medical
18care providers other than emergency medical care providers
19specified in subsection 1, paragraph “a”, subparagraph (2),
20shall not, as a condition of employment, be required to obtain
21a permit under this section. However, the provisions of
22this subsection shall not apply to a person designated as an
23arson investigator by the chief fire officer of a political
24subdivision.
25 Sec. 4. STATE MANDATE FUNDING SPECIFIED. In accordance
26with section 25B.2, subsection 3, the state cost of requiring
27compliance with any state mandate included in this Act shall
28be paid by a school district from state school foundation aid
29received by the school district under section 257.16. This
30specification of the payment of the state cost shall be deemed
31to meet all of the state funding-related requirements of
32section 25B.2, subsection 3, and no additional state funding
33shall be necessary for the full implementation of this Act
34by and enforcement of this Act against all affected school
35districts.
-3-1EXPLANATION
2The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
3the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
4This bill relates to school security, including by requiring
5certain school districts to employ or retain school security
6personnel, establishing the school security personnel grant
7program within the department of education, and authorizing
8school employees to be issued professional permits to carry
9weapons.
10The bill requires all school districts with a total
11enrollment of at least 8,000 students to employ, or retain the
12services of, at least one private school security officer or
13school resource officer to guard each attendance center where
14students enrolled in grades 9 through 12 regularly attend
15classes.
16The bill encourages all school districts with a total
17enrollment of less than 8,000 students to employ, or retain
18the services of, at least one private school security officer
19or school resource officer to guard each attendance center
20where students enrolled in grades 9 through 12 regularly
21attend classes. The bill requires the department of education
22to develop and administer a school security personnel grant
23program to provide annual grants to match moneys provided by
24such school districts to allow the school districts to offset
25costs associated with employing, or retaining the services of,
26a private school security officer or school resource officer.
27The bill provides that the amount of an annual grant provided
28by the department to a school district that has provided
29matching moneys pursuant to this provision shall not exceed
30$50,000. The bill establishes a school security personnel
31grant program fund in the state treasury to be administered by
32the department.
33The bill defines “private school security officer” to
34mean an individual employed by a private security business
35who possesses a permit to carry weapons issued under Code
-4-1section 724.6 (professional permit to carry weapons). The bill
2requires a private school security officer employed or retained
3by the board of directors of a school district to participate
4in the annual live scenario training and quarterly live firearm
5training sessions described below. The bill defines “private
6security business” as a business of furnishing, for hire or
7reward, guards, watch personnel, armored car personnel, patrol
8personnel, or other persons to protect persons or property,
9to prevent the unlawful taking of goods and merchandise, or
10to prevent the misappropriation or concealment of goods,
11merchandise, money, securities, or other valuable documents
12or papers, and includes an individual who for hire patrols,
13watches, or guards a residential, industrial, or business
14property or district. Additionally, the bill defines “school
15resource officer” by reference to the definition contained in
1634 U.S.C.§10389.
17The bill provides that a person may be issued a permit
18to carry weapons if the person is a school employee of a
19school district, a private school, or an institution of higher
20education that has not opted out of participating in the
21professional permitting of school employees. The person shall
22complete a prescribed firearm safety training course offered
23pursuant to Code section 724.9(1), prior to being issued a
24permit, and not be ineligible for a permit to carry under Code
25section 724.8. A person issued a permit to carry weapons
26is required to receive one-time, in-person legal training,
27including training on qualified immunity, annual emergency
28medical training, and annual communication training that is
29approved by the department of public safety. The department
30of public safety is required to implement annual live scenario
31training and quarterly live firearm training for school
32employees.
33The bill provides that a school employee issued a
34professional permit to carry by the department of public safety
35after completing department of public safety-approved training
-5-1is entitled to qualified immunity from criminal or civil
2liability for all damages incurred pursuant to the application
3of reasonable force at the place of employment.
4The bill provides that a school employee shall not be
5required, as a condition of employment, to obtain a permit.
6The bill may include a state mandate as defined in Code
7section 25B.3. The bill requires that the state cost of
8any state mandate included in the bill be paid by a school
9district from state school foundation aid received by the
10school district under Code section 257.16. The specification
11is deemed to constitute state compliance with any state mandate
12funding-related requirements of Code section 25B.2. The
13inclusion of this specification is intended to reinstate the
14requirement of political subdivisions to comply with any state
15mandates included in the bill.
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2certain school districts to employ or retain school security
3personnel, establishing the school security personnel grant
4program within the department of education, and authorizing
5school employees to be issued professional permits to carry
6weapons.
7BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
1 Section 1. NEW SECTION. 279.84 School security personnel
2— grant program.
31. For purposes of this section:
4a. “Private school security officer” means an individual
5employed by a private security business who possesses a permit
6to carry weapons issued under section 724.6.
7b. “Private security business” means the same as defined in
8section 80A.1.
9c. “School resource officer” means the same as defined in
1034 U.S.C.§10389.
112. The board of directors of each school district with
12a total enrollment of at least eight thousand students shall
13employ, or retain the services of, at least one private school
14security officer or school resource officer to guard each
15attendance center where students enrolled in grades nine
16through twelve regularly attend classes. A private school
17security officer employed or retained by the board of directors
18of a school district pursuant to this subsection shall be
19required to participate in the annual live scenario training
20and quarterly live firearms training provided by the department
21of public safety pursuant to section 724.6, subsection 1,
22paragraph “a”, subparagraph (3).
233. a. The board of directors of each school district with
24a total enrollment of less than eight thousand students is
25encouraged to employ, or retain the services of, at least one
26private school security officer or school resource officer
27to guard each attendance center where students enrolled in
28grades nine through twelve regularly attend classes. A private
29school security officer employed or retained by the board of
30directors of a school district pursuant to this paragraph shall
31be required to participate in the annual live scenario training
32and quarterly live firearms training provided by the department
33of public safety pursuant to section 724.6, subsection 1,
34paragraph “a”, subparagraph (3).
35b. The department of education shall develop and administer
-1-1a school security personnel grant program to provide annual
2grants to match moneys provided by a school district described
3in paragraph “a” to allow such school districts to offset costs
4associated with employing, or retaining the services of, a
5private school security officer or school resource officer to
6guard each attendance center providing education to students
7enrolled in grades nine through twelve. The amount of an
8annual grant provided by the department of education to a
9school district that has provided matching moneys pursuant to
10this paragraph shall not exceed fifty thousand dollars.
114. A school security personnel grant program fund
12is established in the state treasury. The fund shall be
13administered by the department of education and shall consist
14of moneys appropriated by the general assembly and other moneys
15received by the department for deposit in the fund. The moneys
16in the fund are appropriated to the department for the school
17security personnel grant program. Notwithstanding section
188.33, moneys in the fund at the close of the fiscal year shall
19not revert to the general fund of the state but shall remain
20available for expenditure for the school security personnel
21grant program for subsequent fiscal years.
22 Sec. 2. Section 724.6, subsection 1, paragraph a, Code 2024,
23is amended by adding the following new subparagraph:
24 NEW SUBPARAGRAPH. (3) A person may be issued a permit
25to carry weapons if the person is a school employee of a
26school district, a private school, or an institution of higher
27education as defined in section 722.11 that has not opted out
28of participating in the professional permitting of school
29employees. The person shall complete a prescribed firearm
30safety training course offered pursuant to section 724.9,
31subsection 1, prior to being issued a permit, and not be
32disqualified under section 724.8. A person issued a permit to
33carry weapons under this subparagraph shall receive one-time,
34in-person legal training, including training on qualified
35immunity, annual emergency medical training, and annual
-2-1communication training that is approved by the department of
2public safety. The department of public safety shall implement
3required annual live scenario training and quarterly live
4firearm training for school employees of a school district,
5a private school, or an institution of higher education that
6has opted into participating in the professional permitting
7of school employees. A school employee issued a professional
8permit to carry by the department of public safety who is up
9to date with department of public safety-approved training
10shall be entitled to qualified immunity from criminal or civil
11liability for all damages incurred pursuant to the application
12of reasonable force at the place of employment.
13 Sec. 3. Section 724.6, subsection 2, Code 2024, is amended
14to read as follows:
152. Notwithstanding subsection 1, fire fighters, as defined
16in section 411.1, subsection 10, airport fire fighters included
17under section 97B.49B, school employees, and emergency medical
18care providers other than emergency medical care providers
19specified in subsection 1, paragraph “a”, subparagraph (2),
20shall not, as a condition of employment, be required to obtain
21a permit under this section. However, the provisions of
22this subsection shall not apply to a person designated as an
23arson investigator by the chief fire officer of a political
24subdivision.
25 Sec. 4. STATE MANDATE FUNDING SPECIFIED. In accordance
26with section 25B.2, subsection 3, the state cost of requiring
27compliance with any state mandate included in this Act shall
28be paid by a school district from state school foundation aid
29received by the school district under section 257.16. This
30specification of the payment of the state cost shall be deemed
31to meet all of the state funding-related requirements of
32section 25B.2, subsection 3, and no additional state funding
33shall be necessary for the full implementation of this Act
34by and enforcement of this Act against all affected school
35districts.
-3-1EXPLANATION
2The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
3the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
4This bill relates to school security, including by requiring
5certain school districts to employ or retain school security
6personnel, establishing the school security personnel grant
7program within the department of education, and authorizing
8school employees to be issued professional permits to carry
9weapons.
10The bill requires all school districts with a total
11enrollment of at least 8,000 students to employ, or retain the
12services of, at least one private school security officer or
13school resource officer to guard each attendance center where
14students enrolled in grades 9 through 12 regularly attend
15classes.
16The bill encourages all school districts with a total
17enrollment of less than 8,000 students to employ, or retain
18the services of, at least one private school security officer
19or school resource officer to guard each attendance center
20where students enrolled in grades 9 through 12 regularly
21attend classes. The bill requires the department of education
22to develop and administer a school security personnel grant
23program to provide annual grants to match moneys provided by
24such school districts to allow the school districts to offset
25costs associated with employing, or retaining the services of,
26a private school security officer or school resource officer.
27The bill provides that the amount of an annual grant provided
28by the department to a school district that has provided
29matching moneys pursuant to this provision shall not exceed
30$50,000. The bill establishes a school security personnel
31grant program fund in the state treasury to be administered by
32the department.
33The bill defines “private school security officer” to
34mean an individual employed by a private security business
35who possesses a permit to carry weapons issued under Code
-4-1section 724.6 (professional permit to carry weapons). The bill
2requires a private school security officer employed or retained
3by the board of directors of a school district to participate
4in the annual live scenario training and quarterly live firearm
5training sessions described below. The bill defines “private
6security business” as a business of furnishing, for hire or
7reward, guards, watch personnel, armored car personnel, patrol
8personnel, or other persons to protect persons or property,
9to prevent the unlawful taking of goods and merchandise, or
10to prevent the misappropriation or concealment of goods,
11merchandise, money, securities, or other valuable documents
12or papers, and includes an individual who for hire patrols,
13watches, or guards a residential, industrial, or business
14property or district. Additionally, the bill defines “school
15resource officer” by reference to the definition contained in
1634 U.S.C.§10389.
17The bill provides that a person may be issued a permit
18to carry weapons if the person is a school employee of a
19school district, a private school, or an institution of higher
20education that has not opted out of participating in the
21professional permitting of school employees. The person shall
22complete a prescribed firearm safety training course offered
23pursuant to Code section 724.9(1), prior to being issued a
24permit, and not be ineligible for a permit to carry under Code
25section 724.8. A person issued a permit to carry weapons
26is required to receive one-time, in-person legal training,
27including training on qualified immunity, annual emergency
28medical training, and annual communication training that is
29approved by the department of public safety. The department
30of public safety is required to implement annual live scenario
31training and quarterly live firearm training for school
32employees.
33The bill provides that a school employee issued a
34professional permit to carry by the department of public safety
35after completing department of public safety-approved training
-5-1is entitled to qualified immunity from criminal or civil
2liability for all damages incurred pursuant to the application
3of reasonable force at the place of employment.
4The bill provides that a school employee shall not be
5required, as a condition of employment, to obtain a permit.
6The bill may include a state mandate as defined in Code
7section 25B.3. The bill requires that the state cost of
8any state mandate included in the bill be paid by a school
9district from state school foundation aid received by the
10school district under Code section 257.16. The specification
11is deemed to constitute state compliance with any state mandate
12funding-related requirements of Code section 25B.2. The
13inclusion of this specification is intended to reinstate the
14requirement of political subdivisions to comply with any state
15mandates included in the bill.
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