FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — New measures to increase students’ safety are advancing in Florida, coming at a time of heightened public outcry in response to recent school tragedies.
School safety is a sensitive topic in the Sunshine State. When a mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, resulted in 19 children's deaths and made national news headlines on May 24, conversations across the country shifted to solutions. But the search for stronger emergency preparedness and disaster prevention on school grounds is not novel in Florida.
Four years ago, the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland became the deadliest high school shooting in U.S. history. It prompted a Republican-led state Legislature to mandate gun regulations, tighten school security and implement more active shooter drills.
Here’s a look at the latest measures that are in the works for the state:
—Identifying school safety threats
House Bill 1421 tweaks provisions in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act, which established the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission and created the Florida Department of Education’s Office of Safe Schools.
The organizations are meant to assess and improve how well Florida’s schools fare in emergency situations.
Both the act from 2018, as well as HB 1421, are sponsored by Reps. Fred Hawkins, a St. Cloud Republican, and Christine Hunschofsky, a Parkland Democrat, who served as mayor of Parkland at the time of the shooting. If signed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, the law would take effect July 1.
The bill prolongs the duration of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission until July 1, 2026, which gives the commission time to establish a central database of past and potential incidents for schools to log and identify safety threats.
“In many of the tragedies that have occurred over many years we have noticed that in many instances there were warning signs that something was not going well for a troubled student,” Hawkins said. “We want to get ahead of the curve and help assist those having problems and work on measures to help brighten their outlook on life.”
—Cracking down on false threats
False shooter threats have risen in South Florida since last year, dampening emergency-prevention efforts. House Bill 1421 would create criminal penalties for students who knowingly report false tips through the FortifyFL platform, an anonymous crime-reporting tool that arose out of the original legislation.
Notably, HB 1421 also includes a step to create a family reunification plan for schools to employ in the event of a disaster. The plan would be reviewed each year.
After the Parkland shooting, parents said they felt they weren’t kept in the loop in the early hours that followed, describing the wait for information as torturous.
“One really important thing in this bill is that every school will be required to have a reunification plan,” Rep. Christine Hunschofsky said. “And that’s important, because that’s something we experienced after the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. When that’s not done well, or when it takes longer than it has to, it adds even more trauma to an already traumatic situation.”
—Focusing on mental health
School emergency drills are expected to take place annually under HB 1421, which also requires that law enforcement officers be present for drills. Officers tasked with school safety are required to complete a training on mental health crisis intervention that is focused on de-escalation tactics.
Other measures feature a central focus on mental health.
Also sponsored by Hunschofsky, HB 899 will require each district school board to assign a mental health coordinator who will work with the Office of Safe Schools. The coordinator will maintain records relevant to student mental health and school safety. Data gathered through involuntary examinations is to be shared with the Florida Department of Children and Families each year.
Students and parents will also be referred to school-based or community-based mental health services upon evaluation.
“The idea behind it is that every student gets the services they need and that no one falls through the cracks,” Hunschofsky said.
HB 899 passed with a unanimous vote in the House and Senate. DeSantis approved the bill into law on May 18, and it will take effect July 1.
—Broadening ‘red flag’ requirements
More proposals are on the way to try to curb gun violence. State Sen. Lori Berman, a Boynton Beach Democrat, is in the process of drafting a bill to expand use of the state’s “red flag” law.
Berman filed the original bill four months before the Parkland shooting. Florida’s “red flag” law allows police agencies to file a civil court request and temporarily seize the guns of individuals deemed a threat to themselves or others.
But only police agencies are permitted to file that request, and Berman said she believes family members should be able to do the same. Berman plans to file the bill with Rep. Kelly Skidmore after seeking reelection in November.
“We’ve seen that a lot of these perpetrators in the school arena have had a history of problems, and I think that the family members are the ones who know it,” Berman said. “And the family members could be the ones who are working to remove the guns.”
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