School Safety Legislation Introduced

Liz Gullett

Feb 17, 2023

A bipartisan package seeking to strengthen safety at K-12 schools and support students’ mental health was introduced in the House on Tuesday. The package resulted from months of in-depth work by the Bipartisan School Safety Task Force, which was formed in response to the Oxford High School shooting. The legislation is designed to organize a unified approach and addresses specific problems identified by the task force. Specific aspects of the legislation include:

- Establish the School Safety and Mental Health Commission to identify best practices to address behavioral, physical, and mental health needs by establishing a comprehensive statewide approach.
- Each intermediate school district would receive funding to hire a safety and security coordinator and a mental health coordinator.
- Schools would be required to review and update their safety plans every three years in consultation with their ISD-level safety coordinator.
- Expand and improve the OK2SAY confidential tip line.
- Require the Michigan State Police to provide uniform, comprehensive school safety and security training for school resource officers and all staff at Michigan schools.
- Add more active-shooter drills and ensure at least one drill includes local law enforcement involvement.

The legislation has been referred to the House Education Committee for consideration.

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