Governor Holcomb Signs Two School Safety Bills Into Law

The governor signed 91 bills into law on Thursday.

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INDIANAPOLIS – Two bills that aim to improve school safety were signed into law this week.

Governor Holcomb signed 91 bills on Thursday, including House Enrolled Act 1492 and House Enrolled Act 1177.

HEA 1492, authored by State Rep. Wendy McNamara (R-Evansville), expands a program that’s helped increase security at over 3,000 schools across the state.

Currently, public, accredited non-public schools and charter can apply for matching grants through Indiana’s Secured School Safety Grant Program to help cover costs of employing a school resource officer and increasing building security among other items.

McNamara’s legislation expands the list of eligible projects to include digital mapping of school floor plans to help first responders, multi-disciplinary threat assessments, and technology to detect fire, chemical, visual, and audible threats.

The new law will establish a County School Safety Commission in each of Indiana’s 92 counties, which includes local government officials. The commission will help coordinate efforts and make policy recommendations regarding a variety of school safety topics.

Each public school will also establish a Safe School Committee, which will be responsible for developing and implementing the school safety plan in conjunction with the school safety specialist and local first responders.

"The safety of students, teachers and staff continues to be a top priority," said McNamara, who also serves as a local school administrator. "By significantly expanding this successful grant program, more schools are expected to apply and receive help covering the costs of much-needed technology upgrades. Our newly passed state budget will also boost investments in this program, which will be a game changer for schools both big and small as they address safety concerns."

Another new law creates a standardized professional training program for Indiana teachers. HEA 1177 allows public, private, and charter schools to enroll interested teachers and staff into a 40-hour training course to learn the basics of firearm safety and usage.

Teachers and staff that opt-in will learn about handling, carrying, maintaining, caring for and storing firearms, and various types of marksmanship training and scenario-based courses.

As a veteran and someone with years of experience handling and using firearms, I know these courses can make all the difference in building confidence and skills, and improving your ability to respond to threats. By giving teachers and staff another tool to protect themselves, we can better harden our school security,” said bill author, State Rep. Jim Lucas (R-Seymour).

See a full list of new laws at https://www.in.gov/gov/newsroom/2023-bill-watch/.