Relating to school safety by requiring the creation of school safety 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 defines “covered entity” to include a criminal or juvenile justice agency; a city, county, or township; a state agency; and any service or support provider that contracts with such entities. The bill defines “state agency” as a department, board, bureau, commission, or other agency or authority of the state of Iowa. “Covered entity” does not include the judicial branch. The bill defines “school” to mean a school corporation organized under Code chapter 274 (school districts), a nonpublic school, a charter school, and an innovation zone school. The bill requires covered entities and schools that provide services to students enrolled in kindergarten through grade 12 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 covered entity or school upon the request of the covered entity or school when the covered entity or school is acting as part of a multidisciplinary threat assessment team established pursuant to the bill’s provisions. Multidisciplinary threat assessment teams are authorized to request and receive records or information that are related to students enrolled in kindergarten through grade 12 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. The bill allows covered entities and schools, when acting as part of a multidisciplinary threat assessment team, to communicate, collaborate, and coordinate efforts to best serve students. 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 and to request records from a court. The bill provides immunity from criminal and civil liability to certain specified persons who report information related to school safety. A representative from juvenile court services who is a member of a multidisciplinary threat assessment team may share records or information among the other members of the team if the records or information are reasonably necessary to ensure the safety of students or others, and if the records are not sealed by a court order. The bill requires a court to disclose to a multidisciplinary threat assessment team a record upon request if the record is reasonably necessary to ensure the safety of students or others, and if the record is not sealed by a court order.