Sen. Raatz Sponsored Bill Amended To Prohibit Pellet Gun Firing During School Safety Training

Several teachers were shot with a pellet gun during an active shooter training session at a northern Indiana school last month.

Indiana State Senator Jeff Raatz. Photo by A.J. Waltz.

(Indianapolis, Ind.) – Indiana lawmakers are moving to put restrictions on active shooter training in schools after teachers were shot with a pellet gun at a northern Indiana school.

The Senate Education and Career Development Committee amended a school safety bill on Wednesday to include a provision prohibiting the firing of projectiles at teachers, employees, or students during any drill or training.

The Indiana State Teachers Association asked for lawmakers to take action last month after some teachers at Meadowland Elementary in Monticello were taken into a classroom and shot execution style with pellet guns during ALICE training. The pellets caused welts and bleeding.

Lawmakers also agreed that the training went too far.

House Bill 1004 is sponsored by State Sen. Jeff Raatz (R-Richmond). It would require school corporations to conduct an active-shooter drill each semester. Private and charter schools would have to provide training once each school year.

The legislation also makes changes to requirements for Indiana Secured School Fund, allowing for funds granted to schools to be used for employing school resource officers and providing school-based mental health services. Grant amounts from the Indiana Safe Schools Fund would be changed. Each Indiana public, private and charter school would be required to conduct a threat assessment.

“Ensuring Indiana has measures in place to further protect Hoosier students, teachers and staff is a high priority for me,” Raatz said. “Given the incidents that occurred in our state in 2018, it is important for us to do all we can to keep our schools secure. This bill would make the necessary changes to improve school safety across Indiana.”

Lawmakers in the Senate Appropriations Committee will consider the amended HB 1004 next. If approved there, it would then head to the Senate floor.

Thank you to advocates who contacted legislators to ask for this simple change to state law. ISTA will continue to track this bill until final passage. https://t.co/PvEHLpMP2z

— Indiana State Teachers Association (@ISTAmembers) April 4, 2019

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