Senate Bill 25-027

BY SENATOR(S) Marchman, Amabile, Ball, Cutter, Danielson, Exum, Gonzales J., Hinrichsen, Jodeh, Kipp, Kolker, Michaelson Jenet, Rodriguez, Sullivan, Wallace, Winter F., Coleman;

also REPRESENTATIVE(S) Joseph and Gonzalez R., Bacon, Boesenecker, Clifford, Duran, English, Garcia, Jackson, Lieder, Lindsay, Phillips, Rutinel, Story.

Concerning the use of trauma-informed practices to address school safety.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:

SECTION 1.  Legislative declaration. (1)  The general assembly finds and declares that:

(a)  Colorado is facing a growing mental health crisis among its youth, with increasing rates of anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues that significantly impact students' ability to learn and thrive in school environments;

(b)  The rise in school shootings and climate-related disasters have increasingly disrupted the lives of Colorado youth, which contributes to the mental health challenges and trauma students face, and the long term effects of these events can impair a youth's emotional well-being, ability to focus, and academic success;

(c)  The safety and well-being of students and school personnel in Colorado is a paramount concern;

(d)  School safety drills are an essential part of school safety protocols to prepare students and school personnel for emergency situations;

(e)  Traditional school safety drills can be distressing and traumatizing for students and educators, thereby necessitating a more considerate approach;

(f)  Trauma-informed practices have been shown to reduce the psychological impact of school safety drills on participants, fostering a safer and more supportive school environment;

(g)  Recognizing the unique vulnerabilities of students, it is essential to include their perspectives and representation in efforts to create a safe and supportive school environment; and

(h)  Implementing trauma-informed school safety drills helps maintain the mental health and emotional stability of students and school personnel during and after the school safety drills.

SECTION 2.  In Colorado Revised Statutes, add 24-33.5-2706 as follows:

24-33.5-2706.  Trauma-informed practices for school safety drills - work group - creation - purpose - membership - notice to revisor of statutes - definitions - repeal. (1)  As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires:

(a)  "Parent" means a parent, legal guardian, or any other person having legal custody of a student.

(b)  "School safety drill" means an operations-based exercise that is designed to prepare students and school personnel to respond to specific emergencies in an effort to reinforce safety protocols, nurture readiness, and reduce panic during a school safety incident.

(c)  "School safety incident" means an event that occurs on school grounds that puts property or the health, safety, or well-being of students, school staff, or visitors in danger and requires an immediate response.

(d)  "Trauma-informed practices" means a systematic approach that recognizes the prevalence of adverse and traumatic experiences of school safety drills and equips school personnel with knowledge to recognize trauma and strategies to support students and school personnel who experience trauma.

(2)  On or before September 1, 2025, the office shall convene and oversee a work group as described in this section. The purpose of the work group is to develop best practices for the use of trauma-informed practices to conduct school safety drills.

(3)  The work group must be funded entirely by gifts, grants, and donations, including in-kind donations as part of a public-private partnership agreement, and no additional general fund money shall be appropriated for the implementation of the work group.

(4)  The work group shall obtain input from parents and students who reflect the diversity of the state with regard to race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, geography, and disability.

(5) (a) (I)  The work group consists of the following nonvoting members:

(A)  A representative from the department of public safety, appointed by the executive director, or the executive director's designee;

(B)  A representative from the office, appointed by the director, or the director's designee;

(C)  A representative from the office of gun violence prevention created in section 25-20.5-1202, appointed by the executive director of the department of public health and environment;

(D)  The commissioner of the department of education, or the commissioner's designee; and

(E)  A student who attends a Colorado public school, appointed by the governor, on the advice of a statewide student coalition;

(II)  The work group consists of the following voting members:

(A)  A school district superintendent who represents either a rural or suburban school district, appointed by the president of the senate, on the advice of a statewide association that represents superintendents of public schools;

(B)  Two school principals, one of whom must represent either a district charter school, as defined in section 22-30.5-112.1, or an institute charter school, as defined in section 22-30.5-502, each appointed by the minority leader of the house of representatives, on the advice of a statewide association that represents school administrators;

(C)  Two teachers, one of whom must represent an urban school district, appointed by the president of the senate, on the advice of a statewide professional association that represents the greatest proportion of educators in the state, and one of whom must represent a rural school district, appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives, on the advice of a statewide organization that represents only rural school districts;

(D)  A school nurse, appointed by the minority leader of the house of representatives, on the advice of a statewide professional association that represents school nurses;

(E)  A child development professional, appointed by the minority leader of the senate, on the advice of a statewide organization comprised of medical professionals boarded or certified in pediatrics;

(F)  A behavioral health professional, appointed by the behavioral health commissioner;

(G)  A professional specializing in trauma-informed practices, appointed by the office;

(H)  A school resource officer with experience in rural or urban school settings, appointed by the minority leader of the senate, on the advice of a statewide association of county sheriffs;

(I)  A professional expert in public health or school safety, appointed by executive director of the department of public health and environment;

(J)  A representative from the fire and life safety section of the division of fire prevention and control, appointed by the director of the division of fire prevention and control;

(K)  A parent of a student currently attending a Colorado public school, appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives, on the advice of a statewide parent organization that focuses on education policy; and

(L)  An at-large member, appointed by the governor.

(b)  The appointing authorities shall appoint the members of the work group as soon as possible after the effective date of this subsection (5) but no later than twenty-eight days after the effective date of this subsection (5).

(c)  Any vacancy occurring in the membership of the work group must be filled in the same manner as the original appointment.

(d)  A majority of the members appointed to the work group constitutes a quorum. If the work group is unable to reach a quorum due to unforeseen circumstances, the work group may proceed with a reduced quorum of no fewer than six voting members.

(e)  The chairperson of the work group shall convene the first meeting of the work group no later than fifty-six days after the effective date of this section. The work group shall meet at least four times during the first six months of its operation and at least three times during the second six months of its operation. The work group shall establish procedures to allow members of the work group to participate in the meetings remotely.

(f)  The members of the work group serve without compensation but may be reimbursed for expenses directly relating to their service on the work group.

(g)  Upon the request of the chairperson of the work group, the office shall provide staff assistance, meeting space, or audio-visual communication technology resources to the work group as necessary for the performance of its duties.

(6)  The work group shall:

(a)  Identify the intended outcomes of the trauma-informed practices;

(b)  Identify best practices for incorporating trauma-informed practices into school safety drills to respond to different types of school safety incidents;

(c)  Use the best practices identified in subsection (6)(b) of this section to determine how to best implement trauma-informed practices for schools to:

(I)  Plan and execute different types of school safety drills;

(II)  Immediately respond to a school safety incident; and

(III)  Best respond to students who have an emotional reaction as a result of school safety drills;

(d)  Determine the skills and knowledge necessary to train school personnel to adequately implement and use trauma-informed practices when conducting school safety drills;

(e)  Determine the necessary frequency of school personnel training to ensure the adequate use of trauma-informed practices during school safety drills;

(f)  Determine the necessary frequency of school safety drills to adequately prepare students and school personnel for school safety incidents;

(g)  Determine the amount of advance notice given to parents before conducting a school safety drill;

(h)  Provide guidance for parents on talking to students about school safety drills;

(i)  Identify state and local resources needed to support schools in implementing trauma-informed practices for conducting school safety drills; and

(j)  Identify possible funding sources to support schools in incorporating trauma-informed practices into school safety drills to respond to different types of school safety incidents.

(7)  The work group shall create a report containing findings and recommendations created pursuant to subsection (6) of this section. The report must account for the different needs of elementary and secondary schools.

(8)  No later than one year and one month after the effective date of this subsection (8), the work group must submit a report containing the findings and recommendations developed pursuant to subsection (7) of this section to the office and to the education committees of the house of representatives and the senate, or any successor committees; the governor; the state board; the commissioner of education; and the department of education. The department of education shall submit the report to the general assembly as part of its "SMART" Act presentation required by section 2-7-203.

(9) (a)  The office may seek, accept, and expend gifts, grants, or donations from private or public sources for the purposes of this section. The office shall transmit all money received through gifts, grants, or donations to the state treasurer.

(b)  The office may enter into a public-private partnership agreement to carry out the requirements of this section. For purposes of this section, if the office enters into a public-private partnership agreement, the public-private partnership agreement is considered an in-kind donation that counts as a gift, grant, or donation in the monetary amount that correlates with the value of the contract.

(10) (a)  If by June 30, 2027, subsections (2), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8), and (9) of this section have not taken effect, the state treasurer shall transfer all money received for purposes of implementing this section to the state education fund created in section 17 (4) of article IX of the state constitution.

(b)  If subsections (2), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8), and (9) of this section take effect pursuant to subsection (11)(a) of this section, on the day prior to the repeal of this section or one year later pursuant to subsection (11)(b) of this section, the state treasurer shall transfer all unexpended and unencumbered money received for purposes of implementing this section to the state education fund created in section 17 (4) of article IX of the state constitution.

(11) (a)  Subsections (2), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8), and (9) of this section take effect if the office receives fifty thousand dollars of gifts, grants, or donations for the purpose of this section or if the office receives an in-kind donation as part of a public-private partnership agreement for which the value is equal to fifty thousand dollars. The office shall notify the revisor of statutes in writing of the date on which the condition specified in this subsection (11)(a) has occurred by emailing the notice to revisorofstatutes.ga@coleg.gov. Subsections (2), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8), and (9) of this section take effect upon the date identified in the notice that the commission has received fifty thousand dollars of gifts, grants, or donations, or an in-kind donation as part of a public-private partnership agreement for which the value is equal to fifty thousand dollars, for the purposes of this section or, if the notice does not specify that date, upon the date of the notice to the revisor of statutes.

(b)  This section is repealed, effective July 1, 2027; except that, if the revisor of statutes receives notice pursuant to this section, then this section is repealed, effective one year after the requirements of subsection (7) of this section are satisfied.

SECTION 3.  In Colorado Revised Statutes, 24-33.5-2702, amend (2)(g); and add (2)(g.5) as follows:

24-33.5-2702.  Office of school safety - created - duties - grants manager - crisis response unit. (2)  The office has the following duties:

(g)  To administer the youth violence prevention grant program; and

(g.5)  To oversee the work group created in section 24-33.5-2706; and

SECTION 4.  Act subject to petition - effective date. This act takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day following the expiration of the ninety-day period after final adjournment of the general assembly; except that, if a referendum petition is filed pursuant to section 1 (3) of article V of the state constitution against this act or an item, section, or part of this act within such period, then the act, item, section, or part will not take effect unless approved by the people at the general election to be held in November 2026 and, in such case, will take effect on the date of the official declaration of the vote thereon by the governor.