Committee introduces bill to shrink school safety advisory board after quorum problems

The Idaho House Committee on Education on Jan. 23 introduced RS31800, a proposal to reduce membership on the state School Safety and Security Advisory Board from 13 members to six, a change the sponsor said is intended to help the board achieve quorum and resume its work.

Representative Ted Hill, who presented the RS, said the existing 13-member structure has “been problematic and they have not been able to achieve quorum and achieve their mission.” The proposed reconfigured board would include two governor appointments, one currently employed emergency responder, one member at large appointed at the governor’s discretion, the state superintendent of public instruction or a designee, a representative appointed by the State Board of Education, and one legislator from the House and one from the Senate.

Hill said members would serve two-year terms and that the change is largely administrative to ensure the board can meet and address school safety issues including bullying. “This administrative change should make it more successful,” he said, and added he would volunteer to be considered for appointment.

Committee members asked whether local chiefs or sheriffs had objected to removing certain seats; Hill said he was not aware of objections and that the change was prompted because the board could not meet requirements under the larger membership.

Rep. Hawkins, who identified himself as a current member of the board, told the committee the governor would retain the ability to invite additional individuals as ad hoc members so stakeholders would not be excluded from conversations even though they would not be permanent members.

The committee voted to introduce RS31800 for printing and to schedule a full bill hearing. The motion carried by voice vote; no roll-call tally was recorded in the transcript.