Mississippi School Safety Act Would Require Active Shooter Drills
House Bill 1283 in Mississippi that would create the “Mississippi School Safety Act of 2019” would require schools to conduct active shooter drills within the first two months of each semester.
The bill would also establish three pilot programs in six districts to provide elementary schoolers with “skills to manage stress and anxiety in order for them to be better equipped to handle challenges in a healthy way and build resiliency,” said a news report. The Mississippi Department of Mental Health would be responsible for developing “refresher training on mental health and suicide prevention for all school employees and personnel, including all cafeteria workers, custodians, teachers and administrators” to be conducted every two years.
“Our schools, which once were a haven of security, have become a place of potential violence,” said Gov. Phil Bryant. “To help protect our students and those who teach them, I will ask you to pass a comprehensive plan to keep our school children safe.”
The 2019 bill would also establish three pilot programs in six districts to provide elementary schoolers with “skills to manage stress and anxiety in order for them to be better equipped to handle challenges in a healthy way and build resiliency.” The Mississippi Department of Mental Health would be responsible for developing “refresher training on mental health and suicide prevention for all school employees and personnel, including all cafeteria workers, custodians, teachers and administrators” to be conducted every two years.
Additionally, the Department of Mental Health would provide online training for school personnel to learn how to conduct behavioral health screenings on students, the report said.
The bill is currently being considered by the House.
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