SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY, No. 3349

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  SEPTEMBER 12, 2016

     The Senate Education Committee favorably reports Assembly Bill No. 3349.

     This bill revises current law on school security drills.  The bill provides that all employees in school districts and nonpublic schools will be provided with annual training on school safety and security.  Under current law such training is only provided once to certificated staff members.  The bill also provides that the training will be conducted collaboratively by the district or nonpublic school and emergency responders in order to identify weaknesses in school safety and security procedures and to increase the effectiveness of emergency responders.

     The bill requires that a law enforcement officer be present at a minimum of one school security drill in each school year in order to make recommendations on any improvements or changes to school security drill procedures that the officer may deem advisable.

     Finally, the bill stipulates that an actual fire or school security emergency that occurs at a school during the month and that includes activities which are the equivalent of a drill, will be considered a drill for the purposes of meeting the required number of monthly drills.

     This bill implements recommendations #6 and 22 of the July, 2015 report of the New Jersey School Security Task Force.

      As reported by the committee, this bill is identical to Senate Bill No. 2438, which also was reported by the committee on this same date.