Bill > SF583

This bill establishes a comprehensive framework for school safety by creating multidisciplinary school safety assessment teams and enabling information sharing between various governmental agencies and educational institutions. The bill defines "covered entities" as including criminal justice agencies, local governments, state agencies, and their service providers, and "schools" as including public, nonpublic, and charter schools. The legislation allows these entities to share records and information about students in kindergarten through 12th grade who are experiencing mental health challenges or pose a potential safety threat, even overriding existing privacy protections. Multidisciplinary school safety assessment teams may be established by school district boards and can include representatives from law enforcement, juvenile court services, mental health professionals, social services, and school officials. These teams are authorized to request and share records to ensure student and school safety, and members who act in good faith when investigating potential threats are granted immunity from criminal and civil liability. The bill applies to various types of schools, including charter and innovation zone schools, and is set to become effective on July 1, 2025. The primary goal is to create a proactive, collaborative approach to identifying and addressing potential safety risks in educational settings by facilitating communication and information exchange between relevant agencies and institutions.

Judiciary (S)

https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislation/BillBook?ga=91&ba=SF583