Relating to school safety by requiring the creation of threat assessment teams and authorizing information sharing between certain governmental agencies

This bill relates to school safety by requiring the creation of threat assessment teams and authorizing information sharing between certain governmental agencies. The bill allows covered entities that provide services to students enrolled in kindergarten through grade who are experiencing or at risk of an emotional disturbance or mental illness, or who pose an articulable and significant threat to the health and safety of any person, to share records or information that are reasonably necessary to ensure access to appropriate services for such students, or to ensure the safety of such students or others, with any other such covered entity. The bill authorizes all such covered entities to communicate, collaborate, and coordinate efforts to best serve students. The bill defines “covered entity” to include nonpublic schools, charter schools, innovation zone schools, the judicial branch, a criminal or juvenile justice agency, political subdivisions, state agencies, and any service or support provider that contracts with such persons. The bill authorizes school districts, accredited nonpublic schools, charter schools, and innovation zone schools to establish a multidisciplinary threat assessment team. The multidisciplinary threat assessment team is required to coordinate resources and assess and intervene when a student enrolled in the school exhibits behavior that may pose a threat to the safety of the school, school employees, or other students enrolled in the school. The bill establishes the membership of the multidisciplinary threat assessment team. The bill authorizes school districts to enter into an agreement with another school to create a multidisciplinary threat assessment team that covers both schools. The bill also authorizes multidisciplinary threat assessment teams to share records or information in accordance with the bill’s provisions. The bill provides immunity from civil liability to certain specified persons who report information related to school safety.