RALEIGH, N.C. — After spending a year reflection on how to protect kids, lawmakers came up with these three bills considered in the North Carolina House of Representatives Wednesday. Two of those passed. The vote on the third was delayed, so staff could have time to research a technical correction.
One of the bills that passed tries to tackle mental health issues by commissioning a study to see what what type of school mental health screenings could help prevent potential shooters. The study will also consider how the screenings could be paid for and what legal and ethical issues could arise.
The other proposal that passed the House today has been labeled as the most creative solution by lawmakers: a new civics class to teach students to resprect each other and school officals.There are very few details at this point on how that class would be implemented.
Both of those ideas passed the house and will head to the Senate. A third bill is also expected to pass the House soon.
It would require annual lock down drills at all public schools, create school crisis kits around each campus which include first aid supplies and communication devices and require each school turn over blueprints and keys to the front door to local law enforcement to help them respond faster and smarter to a shooter.
Each campus would also have to set up a threat assement team who would investigate any tips from students or any red flags teachers notice. And most importantly, the bill would create the Center For Safter Schools under the Department of Public Instruction. They would be repsonsible for providing training, developing policy, and collecting data about school safety in the future.
We'll keep you updated about the status of each of these bills.
