HB 1445 Summary

• Revises legislative intent to encourage schools to address disruptive behavior through alternatives to expulsion and law enforcement referral, such as restitution, civil citation, teen court, neighborhood restorative justice, and school offense protocols.

• Requires district school boards to adopt policies distinguishing between acts posing serious threats to school safety (reportable to law enforcement) and minor incidents or misdemeanors (handled within school discipline system).

• Mandates district school boards enter into agreements with county sheriff's offices and local police departments specifying guidelines for reporting serious threats and defining the role of school resource officers.

• Requires school principals to certify in writing when a student arrest is for an incident constituting a serious threat to school safety, and prohibits law enforcement agencies from arresting children for misdemeanors.

• Requires each school district to submit its zero-tolerance policies to the Department of Education by September 1, 2013, and annually thereafter to ensure compliance.