public schools; interoperable communications; requirements

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details about costs or consequences if a school cannot afford to set up these communication systems.

School Interoperable Communications Requirements

This bill requires Arizona public schools and charter schools to establish systems allowing real-time communication with local law enforcement during emergencies.

What This Bill Does

• Requires each school district and charter school in Arizona to set up a system for communicating with local police during an emergency.
• Schools must provide current maps and floor plans of their buildings to the police securely.
• Schools need to test these communication systems at least once a year.
• The state education department will create guidelines to help schools meet these requirements.

Who It Names or Affects

• All public school districts in Arizona
• Charter schools in Arizona
• Local law enforcement agencies

Terms To Know

Interoperable communications

A system that allows different organizations to communicate effectively with each other during emergencies.

Affidavit

A written statement sworn under oath, used here by schools to confirm they are following the new rules.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify what happens if a school cannot afford to set up these communication systems.
• It is unclear how much it will cost for schools to implement this requirement.
• There is no information on whether existing communication systems meet the new requirements.

Official Summary Text

SB1315 - 572R - Senate Fact Sheet

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ARIZONA STATE SENATE

Fifty-Seventh
Legislature, Second Regular Session

FACT SHEET FOR
S.B. 1315

public
schools; interoperable communications; requirements

Purpose

Requires each school district and charter school to establish and
maintain interoperable communications capabilities that include specified
mechanisms to notify and communicate with local law enforcement agencies (LEAs)
during a school emergency. Outlines reporting requirements on public schools
and the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) relating to the requirement to maintain
interoperable communications capabilities.

Background

Each school district governing board and charter school governing body
must develop an emergency response plan for each school in conjunction with
local LEAs and emergency response agencies and in accordance with the minimum
standards developed by ADE and the Division of Emergency Management within the
Department of Emergency and Military Affairs. A school district's or charter
school's emergency response plan must address how the school and emergency
responders will communicate with and provide assistance to students with
disabilities (A.R.S.

��
15-183

and
15-341
).

Statute requires the Arizona Department of Administration to distribute
School Safety Interoperability Fund monies to a county sheriff or city or town
police department that establishes a school safety program. School Safety
Interoperability Fund monies may be used only for a school safety program that:
1) encompasses schools throughout Arizona; 2) enables the deployment of a
secure, multimedia data communications system for public safety agencies and
public schools;

3) provides a communications solution environment that allows for
identification, secure messaging, information sharing and alarm system
integration as outlined; 4) is capable of being deployed to end users on
existing communication assets; 5) allows each participating entity to maintain
real-time communication; 6) encrypts all media communications; 7) is certified
under the federal Support Anti-Terrorism by Fostering Effective Technologies
Act; 8) is compatible with the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency
Interoperable Gateway System for disaster communications; 9) ensures student
and staff privacy; and 10) enables integration to school access control to
allow remote lockdown by law enforcement (
A.R.S.
� 41-1733
).

School building blueprints and floor plans are not public records and are
exempt from public record requirements (
A.R.S.
� 15-154
).

There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund
associated with this legislation.

Provisions

1.

Requires
each school district and charter school to select or develop technology, a
system or a method to establish and maintain interoperable communications
capabilities that include:

a)

a mechanism that enables designated school personnel to notify local
LEAs in real time if an emergency occurs at the school;

b)

a mechanism that enables the school district or charter school to
securely transmit the current map of each school campus and floor plan of each
school building to local LEAs in a printable format; and

c)

a
mechanism that enables designated school personnel to communicate with local
LEAs and law enforcement officers in real time during an emergency at the
school.

2.

Exempts
a school district or charter school from the requirement to establish a new
interoperable communications system if:

a)

the school district or charter school uses a secure, multimedia data
communications system that is deployed using School Safety Interoperability
Fund monies; and

b)

the
existing multimedia data communications system satisfies the prescribed
interoperable communications capabilities requirements.

3.

Requires,
by July 1, 2027, and July 1 of each year thereafter, each school district and
charter school to submit to ADE an affidavit attesting that the school district
or charter school:

a)

is maintaining the interoperable communications capabilities as
prescribed;

b)

has transmitted the current maps and floor plans to local LEAs through
the required mechanism; and

c)

has
tested each required mechanism at least once during the preceding year to
ensure that the school district or charter school is able to communicate with
the local LEA in whose jurisdiction that school district or charter school is
located.

4.

Requires
ADE to:

a)

prescribe the form and manner of the annual affidavit;

b)

develop guidelines and best practices to assist school districts and
charter schools in meeting the interoperable communications capabilities
requirements;

c)

compile the affidavits submitted by school districts and charter
schools; and

d)

provide
an annual statewide interoperability readiness report to the Governor, the
Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives and provide a copy
of the report to the Secretary of State.

5.

Becomes effective on the general effective date.

Prepared by
Senate Research

February 12,
2026

MH/hk

Current Bill Text

SB1315 - 572R - H Ver

House Engrossed
Senate Bill

public schools;
interoperable communications; requirements

State of Arizona

Senate

Fifty-seventh Legislature

Second Regular Session

2026

SENATE BILL 1315

AN
ACT

amending title 15, chapter 1, article 5,
Arizona Revised Statutes, by adding section 15-154.03; relating to school
safety requirements.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

Be it
enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:

Section 1. Title 15, chapter 1, article 5,
Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 15-154.03, to read:

START_STATUTE
15-154.03.

Schools;
interoperable communications systems; affidavits; annual readiness report; law
enforcement agencies; funding

A.
If
sufficient monies are available, Each school district and charter school in
this state shall select or develop technology, a system or a method to
establish and maintain interoperable communications capabilities that include
at least the following:

1. A mechanism that enables
designated school personnel to notify local law enforcement agencies in real
time if an emergency occurs at the school.

2. A mechanism that enables the
school district or charter school to securely transmit the current map of each
school campus and floor plan of each school building to local law enforcement
agencies in a printable format.

3. A mechanism that enables
designated school personnel to communicate with local law enforcement agencies
and law enforcement officers in real time during an emergency at the school.

B. A school district or charter
school that uses a secure, multimedia data communications system that is
deployed pursuant to section 41-1733 is not required to establish a new
interoperable communications system if the existing multimedia data
communications system satisfies the requirements prescribed by subsection A of
this section.

C. On or before July 1, 2027 and July
1 of each year thereafter, each school district and charter school shall submit
to the department, in a form and manner prescribed by the department, an
affidavit attesting that
either:

1. the school district or charter
school:

(
a
) Is
maintaining the interoperable communications capabilities required by
subsection A of this section.

(
b
) Has
transmitted the current maps and floor plans to local law enforcement agencies
through the mechanism required by subsection A, paragraph 2 of this section.

(
c
) Has tested
each mechanism required by subsection A of this section to ensure that the
school district or charter school is able to communicate with the local law
enforcement agency in whose jurisdiction the school district or charter school
is located at least once during the preceding year.

2. The school district or charter
school has not established interoperable communications capabilities required
by subsection A of this section because sufficient monies are not available.

D. The
department shall develop guidelines and best practices to assist school
districts and charter schools in meeting the requirements prescribed by this
section.

E. The
department shall compile the affidavits submitted pursuant to subsection C of
this section and shall provide an annual statewide interoperability readiness
report to the governor, the president of the senate and the speaker of the
house of representatives and shall provide a copy of the report to the
secretary of state.

F. If a local law enforcement agency
in this state has monies available to establish and maintain interoperable
communications capabilities with school districts and charter schools that are
located within the agency's jurisdiction, the agency shall Notify each school
district and charter school that is located within the agency's jurisdiction
that monies are available for the purposes of subsection A of this section.

g. If a local law enforcement agency
in this state does not have sufficient monies available to establish and
maintain interoperable communications capabilities with each school district
and charter school that is located within the agency's jurisdiction, the agency
shall do both of the following:

1. Select school districts and
charter schools for which sufficient monies are available to establish and
maintain interoperable communications capabilities.

2. Notify each school district and
charter school that is selected pursuant to paragraph 1 of this subsection that
sufficient monies are available for the purposes of subsection A of this
section.
END_STATUTE