Comprehensive school safety plans: tactical response plans.

(1) Existing law provides that school districts and county offices of education are responsible for the overall development of comprehensive school safety plans for its schools operating kindergarten or any of grades 1 to 12, inclusive. Existing law requires the schoolsite council of a school to write and develop a school safety plan relevant to the needs and resources of the particular school, except as specified with regard to a small school district. Existing law requires the school safety plan to include specified strategies and programs that will provide or maintain a high level of school safety. Existing law authorizes a school district or county office of education to elect to not have its schoolsite council develop and write portions of its school safety plan that include tactical responses to criminal incidents, as defined, and instead develop those portions of the school safety plan with law enforcement officials and other specified persons. Existing law requires any vote to approve the tactical response plan to be announced in open session following a closed session. Existing law provides certain protections from disclosure for this tactical response plan. This bill would require a comprehensive school safety plan to include a tactical response plan, and would revise the definition of "tactical responses to criminal incidents" to include a plan to safeguard against incidents that include a firearm, explosive, or other deadly weapon. The bill would require any vote to approve or update the tactical response plan to be announced in open session following a closed session. The bill would prohibit the governing board of a school district or a county office of education from being required to disclose those portions of the tactical response plan that may be kept private. (2) By requiring school districts and county offices of education to perform additional duties in regards to their comprehensive school safety plans, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these statutory provisions.