Louisiana Center for Safe Schools

A. The Louisiana Center for Safe Schools, referred to in this Section as the "center", is hereby established within the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Criminal Justice. B. The center shall administer school and nonprofit security programs formerly provided pursuant to Title 29 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950. C. The center shall do all of the following: (1) Identify and prioritize resources available to improve the safety and security of schools of this state and nonprofit organizations. (2) Facilitate the collection and dissemination of information on safety vulnerabilities, safety needs, training standards, best practices, and available funding programs. (3) Develop, in consultation with the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, a comprehensive statewide school safety framework, including behavioral threat assessment models and trauma-informed support practices. (4) Assist schools in developing and revising crisis management and emergency response plans required pursuant to R.S. 17:416.16. (5) Coordinate with the state Department of Education and other appropriate state agencies to ensure awareness of available safety resources and incorporation of best practices. (6) Provide training and technical assistance to schools, school governing authorities, nonprofit organizations, and other appropriate entities on issues relating to school and nonprofit security, including emergency operations planning, emergency drills, threat assessment, facility security, digital safety, vulnerability assessments, and hazard mitigation. (7) Facilitate consistent and comprehensive information sharing between schools, communities, nonprofit organizations, and governmental agencies to promote safety and resiliency. (8) Identify and offer training opportunities relating to school resource officers and other personnel assigned to school and nonprofit security functions. (9) Administer systems and coordinated processes relating to threat assessment, violence prevention, risk mitigation, suicide prevention and intervention, emergency preparedness, and response coordination. D. The center may acquire, develop, license, hold, operate, maintain, administer, and make available systems, platforms, tools, subscriptions, and related infrastructure reasonably necessary to carry out its duties and may make such systems available to authorized participants pursuant to agreements consistent with applicable law. E. The center may enter cooperative agreements, intergovernmental agreements, cooperative endeavor agreements, contracts, or other lawful arrangements with public entities or governmental bodies as necessary to carry out its duties. F. The center may apply for, receive, administer, and implement programs supported by state, federal, interstate, or other lawful funding sources and may expend such funds and carry out programmatic requirements consistent with this Section. G. The center may utilize cooperative or intergovernmental contracts authorized under state or federal law and existing statewide contracts to acquire systems and services necessary to implement this Section. All procurements shall be conducted in accordance with applicable state and federal procurement law. H. The center shall adopt and maintain written policies governing data management, confidentiality, access controls, authorized participation, and compliance with applicable state and federal privacy law. Any public records exemptions applicable to school security plans, critical incident data, or related security information shall continue to apply to data and systems administered pursuant to this Section. I. The center may establish and administer emergency notification systems and anonymous reporting systems to enhance school and nonprofit security. J. The center shall provide an annual report to the governor, the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, the House Committee on Education, the Senate Education Committee, the House Committee on the Administration of Criminal Justice, and the Senate Committee on Judiciary B regarding the status of school and nonprofit security initiatives and the activities of the center. K. Nothing in this Section shall supersede the constitutional authority of the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. L. The center shall coordinate with the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, or its successor, regarding school-related critical incident mapping and emergency response planning. M. (1) There is hereby established within the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Criminal Justice the School and Nonprofit Security Advisory Council, referred to in this Subsection as the "council". (2) The council shall consist of the following members: (a) The executive director of the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Criminal Justice, or his designee. (b) The superintendent of the state Department of Education, or his designee. (c) The secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health, or his designee. (d) The secretary of the Department of Children and Family Services, or his designee. (e) The superintendent of the Louisiana State Police, or his designee. (f) The executive director of the Louisiana Sheriffs' Association, or his designee. (g) The executive director of a statewide association of chiefs of police, or his designee. (h) A representative of a statewide association of school boards, appointed by that association. (i) A representative of a statewide association of school principals or superintendents, appointed by that association. (j) The chair of the House Committee on Administration of Criminal Justice, or his designee. (k) The chair of the Senate Committee on Judiciary B, or his designee. (l) The executive director of the Louisiana Interchurch Conference, or his designee. (m) The director of the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, or his designee. (3) The council shall elect a chair from among its members in accordance with rules adopted by the council. (4) A majority of the appointed members constitutes a quorum. (5) The council shall meet at least quarterly and may meet more frequently as determined by the council. (6) The council shall do all of the following: (a) Review and formally endorse statewide school and nonprofit security frameworks developed by the center. (b) Adopt formal recommendations regarding interagency coordination, threat assessment standards, training alignment, emergency preparedness, and programmatic implementation. (c) Make formal recommendations regarding the establishment, design, administration, and funding priorities of grant programs relating to school and nonprofit security. (d) Issue an annual report, no later than July first, to the governor and to the legislature regarding school and nonprofit security initiatives and recommendations of the council. (7) The council shall not enter into contracts, expend funds, procure goods or services, or promulgate administrative rules. Implementation authority shall remain with the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Criminal Justice through the Louisiana Center for Safe Schools. N. (1) The council established pursuant to this Section shall be the successor entity to the Louisiana Commission on School and Nonprofit Security previously created pursuant to R.S. 29:726.5. (2) All powers, duties, functions, records, reports, recommendations, data studies, pending matters, officers, and other actions of the prior commission are transferred to and shall continue in effect under the council established by this Section.