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ENGROSSED HOUSE
BILL NO. 1417 By: West (Josh) of the House
and
Weaver of the Senate
An Act relating to school safety; creating the School
Access for Emergency Response Act; defining terms;
creating the School Access for Emergency Response
Grant Program within the State Department of
Education; construing grant program purposes;
prohibiting impacts to current public safety system
loading capabilities; prescribing the administration
and implementation of the grant program; creating the
grant selection committee; requiring promulgation of
rules; prescribing certain rule requirements;
directing the appointment of committee members;
implementing certain grant eligibility criteria;
requiring certain applicant considerations;
specifying award and distribution dates; requiring
school districts to report on the grant program;
mandating reporting to the Legislature; creating the
School Access for Emergency Response Revolving Fund;
specifying fund sources; allowing appropriation;
clarifying fund purpose; prescribing fund expenditure
limitations; construing disbursement of fund amounts;
providing for codification; and providing an
effective date.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 5-149.5 of Title 70, unless
there is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
This act shall be known and may be cited as the "School Access
for Emergency Response Act" or the "SAFER Act".
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SECTION 2. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 5-149.6 of Title 70, unless
there is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
As used in the School Access For Emergency Response Act:
1. "Best practices in interoperable emergency communications"
means to identify the interoperable emergency communications needs
at a school level, to help target technical assistance, funding, and
other support, and to prepare for next-generation communications
technologies as exemplified by interoperable communications
technologies to enhance and better ensure school safety throughout
the State of Oklahoma;
2. "Board" may alternately or jointly reference the State Board
of Education and the Oklahoma Office of Homeland Security;
3. "Crisis management plan" means a plan including tactical
strategies and actions for responding to an emergency as set forth
by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Manual IS-0100.C.
The key elements of a crisis management plan shall include, but
not necessarily be limited to:
a. threat assessment, recurring risk assessment, and
proactive identification following said assessments,
b. crisis response team structure,
c. communication protocols, including implementation,
training, as well as maintenance and timely upgrading
of interoperable communication systems,
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d. emergency response procedures,
e. resource allocation guidelines, and
f. recovery and continuity strategies;
4. "Department" may alternately or jointly reference the State
Board of Education and the State Office of Homeland Security;
5. "Grant program" means the School Access for Emergency
Response Grant Program created in Section 3 of this act;
6. “Incident Command System” (ICS) means the standardized
approach to incident management as set forth by Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA) Manual IS-0100.C: An Introduction to the
Incident Command System. ICS shall be adopted by grant applicants
as a precedent to be considered for funding through this act. The
Manual includes:
a. unified command structure,
b. common terminology,
c. modular organization,
d. integrated communications via interoperable
technology, equipment, and training, and
e. comprehensive resource management;
7. "Interoperability" means the ability of one or more radio
systems to communicate with another radio system in real-time.
Interoperability includes the teamwork that occurs over real-time
radio broadcast channels between school district safety teams,
school-based safety teams, and professional emergency responders;
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8. “Interoperable communications provider” means the supplier
or suppliers of interoperable communications technology, both
hardware and software, as well as related training, maintenance, and
upgrades of interoperable communications systems;
9. "Interoperable technology" means software and hardware that
enables two different radio systems and other communications devices
to communicate seamlessly in real time via radio broadcast channels
regardless of underlying technologies or manufacturers;
10. "Memorandum of Understanding" (MOU) means an agreement
between two or more parties that is designed and intended to
formalize a working relationship. Among other components as
identified by the stakeholders, the MOU is designed and intended to
outline the identified parties agreement to share private, assigned
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) licensed radio frequencies
or channels as well as other protocols and technologies needed to
achieve two-way radio interoperability as contemplated by NIMS IS-
0100.C for schools;
11. a. "National Response Framework" (NRF) means the manner
in which the United States responds to all types of
disasters and emergencies and includes the following
key elements:
(1) enumerated core capabilities of prevention,
protection, mitigation, response, and recovery,
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(2) a component of the National Strategy for Homeland
Security that establishes a comprehensive,
national, all-hazards approach to domestic
incident response,
(3) an explanation of the roles and responsibilities
of federal, state, local, tribal governments,
private sector, and non-governmental
organizations in disaster response, and
(4) scalable, flexible, and adaptable coordination
structures to align key roles and
responsibilities across the nation, including
(and specifically for the purposes of this act)
for small, medium, and large school districts and
associated public safety agencies;
b. For the purposes of the School Access for Emergency
Response Act, NRF:
(1) enumerates the interrelationship between school
access for emergency response and the National
Incident Management System (NIMS), and
(2) outlines the operation of NIMS Incident Command
System in relations to school access for
emergency response;
12. "Public safety answering point" means a facility equipped
and staffed to provide emergency telephone service;
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13. "Radio system" means a private network for voice
communications;
14. “Real-time communications network” means private licensed
radio frequencies, channels, or talk-groups, on either a wire or
wireless communication network, that allows for real-time voice or
data transmissions between a public safety answering point, specific
school safety team members, school district safety teams, and first
responders;
15. "Revolving fund" means the School Access for Emergency
Response Revolving Fund created in Section 6 of this act;
16. "Safety team" means personnel who have a role in crisis
management plans, including school district safety teams and school-
based safety teams. In regard to school-based safety teams,
training includes NIMS IS-0100.C protocols as well as training with
interoperable communications technology itself;
17. "School" means elementary, middle, and secondary schools
supported by public taxation and shall include charter schools
established pursuant to the Oklahoma Charter Schools Act; and
18. "Standards-based" means radio specifications defined by a
national association of the telecommunications industry that every
manufacturer can follow to implement equipment interoperability.
SECTION 3. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 5-149.7 of Title 70, unless
there is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
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A. There is hereby created in the State Department of Education
the School Access for Emergency Response Grant Program to provide
grants to schools for needed interoperable communication hardware,
software, equipment maintenance, and training to allow for seamless
communications between first responder communications systems, new
or existing school district communications systems, and new or
existing school-based systems.
B. Grant recipients may use the money received through the
grant program for the following purposes:
1. To deliver training programs to teach district safety teams
and security personnel as well as appropriate school-based safety
teams and other personnel basic procedures for effective
communications with first responders in an emergency. The training
shall be based upon Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
Manual IS-0100.C: An Introduction to the Incident Command System.
As required by federal law and associated regulations, these derived
training elements shall include:
a. completion of the entire course, which is usually
available online through the Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA) Emergency Management
Institute (EMI) website,
b. an expectation of understanding the basic principles
and features of ISC, including its purpose,
organization, and the roles and responsibilities of
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key positions within the structure established by the
FEMA Manual,
c. familiarization with how ISC is applied in various
types of school-based incidents, including planned
events, natural disasters, and other types of crisis
incidents or emergency situations,
d. scenario-based exercises to reinforce learning and
ensure comprehension of the material,
e. a final exam to assess the participant's understanding
of the course material. A passing score, often
seventy-five percent (75%) or higher, is necessary to
receive a certificate of completion,
f. a certification upon successful completion of the
course and final exam, which may be necessary for
certain federal positions or for compliance with
federal emergency management directives, and
g. periodic refresher courses or continuing education to
maintain certification and stay current with any
changes or updates to the system;
2. To implement an interoperable technology solution to provide
or to upgrade the following:
a. a system or technology that can be activated and
deactivated by a public safety answering point, a
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network administrator, and a school over both the
radio system and other communications networks,
b. radio and other technology bridge ability that is
nonradio vendor specific for connecting independent
school networks, school district networks, and public
safety networks in the region, and
c. an interoperable real-time radio broadcast solution
that operates over specifically managed radio networks
and other proactively identified communications
networks; and
3. To maintain or improve a school's existing interoperable
communication hardware or software or to provide interoperable
communication hardware and software to a school that does not yet
have it.
C. The proposed interoperable communications solution shall not
increase or impact public safety system loading in existence at the
time of the enactment of this act. School-based and school district
interoperable communications systems shall consider coverage,
capacity, and related features in regard to any necessary radio
system capacity expansions where school loading is determined to
potentially have more than a negligible impact on preexisting public
safety system loading.
D. The State Department of Education shall administer the grant
program. Subject to the availability of funds, grants shall be paid
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out of the "School Access for Emergency Response Revolving Fund"
created in Section 6 of this act.
E. The State Board of Education, in consultation with the grant
selection committee created in subsection F of this section, shall
implement the grant program in accordance with this act. The
Department shall promulgate rules necessary to implement the
requirements of this act. At minimum, such rules shall specify the
time frames for applying for grants, the form of the grant program
application, and the time frames for distributing grant money.
These rules shall require that school districts and schools making
application shall adopt the National Incident Management System
(NIMS) to train personnel in the Incident Command System (IS-0100.C)
and conduct joint exercises involving professional first responders
with schools and school districts to better coordinate teamwork and
overall response to incidents.
F. There is hereby created the grant selection committee to
work with the State Board of Education to determine whether a grant
applicant satisfies the criteria to receive a grant. The committee
shall be composed of seven (7) members appointed as specified in
this subsection. The members of the committee shall serve without
compensation, but shall be reimbursed for all actual and necessary
expenses incurred while engaged in the discharge of official duties
pursuant to this act in accordance with the State Travel
Reimbursement Act. Members of the committee shall meet as often as
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deemed necessary by the Board to accomplish the work of the
committee. Members of the committee shall be appointed on or before
November 1, 2025, as follows:
1. The Governor shall appoint one member;
2. The Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives shall
appoint one member who represents urban or suburban school
districts, and one member who represents the chiefs of police;
3. The President Pro Tempore of the Oklahoma State Senate shall
appoint one member who represents rural school districts, and one
member who represents county sheriffs;
4. The Commissioner of Public Safety shall appoint one member;
and
5. The State Superintendent of Public Instruction shall appoint
one member.
SECTION 4. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 5-149.8 of Title 70, unless
there is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
A. A school is required to have a Memorandum of Understanding,
as defined in Section 2 of this act, with its regional public safety
answering point and the local law enforcement agency or agencies
that serve the school for communications interoperability to be
eligible to apply for a grant under this act. To receive a grant, a
school must submit an application to the Department in accordance
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with rules promulgated by the Department. At minimum, the
application must include the following information:
1. A description of the school's current interoperable
communication technology, if any;
2. A description of efforts that the school has taken to
coordinate emergency communication with law enforcement, 9-1-1
system administrators, and other schools; and
3. A description of the purpose or purposes for which the
school would plan to use the grant money, including, but not limited
to, proposed training programs, joint exercise plans, and
interoperability technology solutions.
B. The grant selection committee created in Section 3 of this
act shall review the applications received pursuant to this section.
In awarding grants, the grant selection committee shall consider
whether the school has a crisis management plan in place with safety
team members designated for communications with first responders.
C. Subject to the availability of funds, on or before June 30,
2026, and on or before June 30 each year thereafter for the duration
of the grant program, the Board shall award grants as provided in
this act. The Board shall distribute the grant money within thirty
(30) days after the grants are awarded.
SECTION 5. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 5-149.9 of Title 70, unless
there is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
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A. On or before January 15, 2028, and on or before January 15
each year thereafter for the duration of the grant program, each
school district with schools that received a grant through the grant
program provided in this act shall submit a report to the
Department. At minimum, the report shall include the following
information:
1. The number of schools within the district that used grant
money to provide training programs to appropriate personnel
regarding effective communications with first responders in an
emergency;
2. The number of schools within the district that used grant
money to provide or upgrade its interoperable technology, including
interoperable communication hardware or software; and
3. The estimated number of enrolled students that benefitted or
will benefit from how the grant money was utilized.
B. On or before May 30, 2028, and on or before May 30 each year
thereafter for the duration of the grant program, the Department
shall present a summarized report of the activities of the grant
program to the Oklahoma Legislature.
SECTION 6. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 5-149.10 of Title 70, unless
there is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
A. There is hereby created in the State Treasury a revolving
fund for the State Department of Education to be designated the
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"School Access for Emergency Response Revolving Fund". The fund
shall be a continuing fund, not subject to fiscal year limitations,
and shall consist of all monies received by the Department of
Education from:
1. Reimbursements, grants, or other monies received from other
state agencies and entities for establishing or maintaining
interoperable communication between schools and public safety
officials;
2. Gifts, donations, and bequests; and
3. Monies appropriated or apportioned by the Legislature.
B. All monies accruing to the credit of the School Access for
Emergency Response Revolving Fund are hereby appropriated and may be
budgeted and expended by the State Department of Education for the
purpose of providing grants for the School Access for Emergency
Response Grant Program as created in Section 3 of this act.
C. Expenditures from the School Access for Emergency Response
Revolving Fund shall be made upon warrants issued by the State
Treasurer against claims filed as prescribed by law with the
Director of the Office of Management and Enterprise Services for
approval and payment. Expenditures from the School Access for
Emergency Response Revolving Fund shall not exceed Five Million
Dollars ($5,000,000.00) in any fiscal year and shall be divided
equally among grant applicants who were approved by the State Board
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of Education and grant selection committee as provided for in
Section 3 of this act.
SECTION 7. This act shall become effective November 1, 2025.
Passed the House of Representatives the 13th day of March, 2025.
Presiding Officer of the House
of Representatives
Passed the Senate the _____ day of __________, 2025.
Presiding Officer of the Senate