Senate committee advances Uvalde Strong Act to tighten school active‑shooter preparedness

The Senate Committee on Criminal Justice voted to send the committee substitute for House Bill 33, the Uvalde Strong Act, to the full Senate with a favorable recommendation, backing measures that would require security reviews of school facilities, establish standardized active‑shooter training and expand incident reporting and mutual‑aid planning among responders.

The bill follows the May 2022 shooting at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, where committee members and witnesses said failures in coordination and preparedness exposed critical gaps. “This bill will require a public school district that constructs, acquires, and renovates the district facility to conduct a security review of the facility,” the chair told the committee, outlining the measure’s core requirements.

Supporters told the committee the legislation…