A school district must give notice, safety notice, notifications, and tracking support before holding an active threat exercise, and it must send collected data to the Texas School Safety Center.
Sec. 37.1141. ACTIVE THREAT EXERCISES. (a) Before a school district may conduct an active threat exercise, including an active shooter simulation, the district shall ensure that: (1) adequate notice of the exercise is provided to students expected to participate in the exercise, the parents of those students, and staff likely to be part of the exercise, including information regarding: (A) the date on which the exercise will occur; (B) the content, form, and tone of the exercise; and (C) whether the exercise will include a live simulation that mimics or appears to be an actual shooting incident; (2) the exercise is announced to students and faculty before the start of the exercise, including, if applicable, an announcement that the exercise will include a live simulation that mimics or appears to be an actual threat, such as a shooting incident; (3) first responder organizations that would likely respond in the event of a false report or alarm are notified regarding the exercise; (4) a safe zone is created around the area in which the exercise will be conducted to keep out actual firearms, ammunition, and other weapons, other than firearms, ammunition, or other weapons carried by a peace officer, school resource officer, or school marshal or any other person authorized by the district to carry those items on school grounds; (5) the content of the exercise: (A) is age appropriate and developmentally appropriate; (B) has been developed by a team of school administrators, teachers, school-based mental health professionals, and law enforcement officers, with input from parents and students; and (C) is designed to support the well-being of students who participate in the exercise before, during, and after the exercise is conducted; and (6) data regarding the efficacy and impact of the exercise will be tracked, including any feedback regarding the exercise from students, staff, or family members of students or staff. (b) Subsection (a)(4) may not be construed to prohibit a parent, legal guardian, or other person acting on a parent's or legal guardian's behalf from transporting or storing in the person's motor vehicle a firearm, ammunition, or other weapon that the person is legally authorized to possess while the person is picking up a child from school. (c) A school district shall submit data collected under Subsection (a)(6) to the Texas School Safety Center. (d) The commissioner may adopt rules as necessary to implement this section. Added by Acts 2021, 87th Leg., R.S., Ch. 542 (S.B. 168), Sec. 2, eff. June 14, 2021.