Senate committee advances school-safety package, guardianship evaluation changes, flood-disclosure and post-conviction relief bills; all pass by committee vote

A Senate committee meeting that served as the chamber’s final hearing advanced four committee substitutes on a unanimous committee vote and sent the measures back to the House for further action.

The most extensive discussion centered on House Bill 268, a multi‑section school‑safety package that combines provisions from a previously passed Senate measure with new requirements for student behavioral training, school emergency mapping, records transfers and expanded reporting to help schools and law enforcement coordinate responses to violent incidents.

The substitute retains a Senate‑passed mapping requirement and adds an array of behavioral‑health and reporting measures intended to identify and intervene with at‑risk students earlier. Senator (Chair) Kauser, who presented the substitute with Representative Holt Persinger, said the bill seeks to balance safety with privacy by removing a proposed permanent threat database and mandating limits and procedures instead. “We will be disclosing that when a kid transfers. That will help the new administration know what they’re dealing with,” Kauser said, describing the five‑business‑day transfer requirement for education records and a list of items those records must include.

Why it matters: The package couples physical‑safety measures — required school schematic “mapping” for first responders and an emergency notification mechanism — with mental‑health interventions ranging from statewide student‑training requirements to newly funded local student‑advocacy specialists. Sponsors described the components as complementary: prepare law enforcement logistically, teach staff and students to recognize warning signs, and speed record transfer so receiving schools can act on known histories.

Key provisions outlined by the sponsors include: - A requirement that each school system develop standardized school mapping data so law enforcement can navigate facilities during a response, with GEMA to promulgate rules. - A five‑business‑day requirement for transferring education records (including IEPs, disciplinary…