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Bill > HB1491

MS HB1491

MS HB1491
Students Safe at School Act; create to provide procedures for active shooter drills and simulations.

summary

Introduced
01/19/2026
In Committee
01/19/2026
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
02/03/2026

Introduced Session

2026 Regular Session

Bill Summary

An Act To Create "the Students Safe At School Act"; To Define Terms Under The Act; To Outline Standards; To Provide For Student Health And Wellness Protocols; To Set Forth Notice Requirements; To Address Student Participation In Shooter Drills; To Address Student Participation In Active Shooter Simulations; To Require Violence Prevention Training; To Provide For Student Participation In Safety Planning; To Provide For Publication Of Vendors; To Create Guidelines To Measure Effectiveness Of Drills; To Create The School Emergency Response Mapping Data Grant Program Within The Office Of The Attorney General; To Authorize Each School District, Charter School Governing Board And Private School Governing Board, In Consultation With Local Law Enforcement Agencies, To Provide School Mapping Data For Each School In The Area Of The Law Enforcement Agency's Jurisdiction; To Require The Entity Producing The Data To Be Responsible For Providing Data To The Schools And Local Law Enforcement And Public Safety Agencies For Use In Response To Emergencies; To Prescribe The Required Components Of What School Mapping Data Should Entail; To Require That Updates To The School Mapping Data Be Accessible In Software Platforms; To Establish The School Emergency Response Mapping Data Grant Program In The State Treasury; To Bring Forward Section 37-11-5, Mississippi Code Of 1972, For The Purpose Of Possible Amendment; And For Related Purposes.

AI Summary

This bill, known as the "Students Safe at School Act," establishes new procedures and standards for active shooter drills and simulations in Mississippi schools, aiming to enhance student safety and well-being. It defines "active shooter drill" as a preparedness exercise for students and staff that does not mimic real shooting events, distinguishing it from an "active shooter simulation," which is designed for adult personnel and may involve elements mimicking a real shooting. The act mandates that all active shooter drills involving students in kindergarten through twelfth grade must be accessible, age-appropriate, culturally aware, trauma-informed, and include accommodations for students with various needs. Following any drill, schools must provide time for teachers to debrief with students and offer access to mental health support. Parents will receive at least 24 hours' notice before practice drills and have the right to opt their children out, with alternative safety education provided for those who do. Students in grades 9-12 can opt into simulations with parental consent, but no student will be required to participate in a simulation if a majority of students are present during school hours. Additionally, students in grades 6-12 will receive at least one hour of annual, evidence-based violence prevention training covering warning signs, seeking help, and reporting dangerous activities. The bill also requires schools to involve students in safety planning, makes a list of vendors for active shooter drill training publicly available, and mandates the creation of guidelines to measure the effectiveness of drills, with school boards required to review the impact of these drills on student and staff safety and mental health annually. Finally, it establishes a School Emergency Response Mapping Data Grant Program within the Attorney General's office to facilitate the sharing of school mapping data with law enforcement for emergency response purposes.

Committee Categories

Education

Sponsors (1)

Last Action

Died In Committee (on 02/03/2026)

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