This bill makes a number of changes regarding school safety. The program will be operated by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, the Department of Social Services, and the National Guard. Students in the seventh or eighth grade may apply to attend the 4-week residential program. A local school system will provide academic instruction.
Current law requires notification only when a student has allegedly committed a crime.
The bill also grants civil immunity to school employees who in good faith notify law enforcement regarding a student's criminal activity. Currently, the sales tax on videotape rentals is earmarked for such expenditures. The bill defines the crime as communicating a threat to commit a felony, a knowingly false report concerning the commission of any felony, or a knowingly false report concerning the occurrence of a catastrophe.