NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Before six people died in a mass shooting in Tennessee, lawmakers wrote a bill that would dictate that all schools would have a safety plan in the event of an active shooter in their building.
The bill — HB0322/SB274 — would mandate a plan with crisis intervention, emergency response and emergency management. An amendment added to the bill would make that same rule for private and church schools, like The Covenant School. Students and staff lived through a mass shooting 11 days ago, when six people died — including three 9-year-olds.
That bill passed in the House 95 to 4, with those who voted against saying it didn't really answer what the state would do about tightening gun laws.
“Nowhere in this bill does it say the word guns or assault weapons," Rep. Justin Jones, D-Nashville, said.
All told, this bill would follow along Gov. Bill Lee's proposal to harden security at schools. It's not clear how much the measure would cost, according to the fiscal memo attached to the bill. However, the memo said those costs wouldn't be significant.
"We have been working since January to go through many versions," Rep. Mark White, R-Memphis, said. "We are requiring exterior entrances to be locked. The enforcement of course goes from public to charter schools to private schools."
Schools must have a plan in place by July 1, according to the bill. The school must also go through an active intruder drill once a year.
In an additional amendment, Rep. Jason Powell, D-Nashville, created language that would require panic buttons to go inside schools that could silently notify emergency responders. While this was a late-added amendment, members unanimously voted for its passage.
Before the bill becomes law, it would have to go through the Senate and ultimately the governor's desk.
Chris Davis contributed to this report.
