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Committee sends school employee protection bill to summer study after members question scope of amendment
Summary
House Bill 7-21, intended to enhance protections for school employees, was amended and then sent to summer study after members said the amendment excluded students and registered participants, raising concerns about the bill's practical scope and readiness.
Chair Lady Littleton presented amendment code 5-968 to House Bill 7-21, explaining the bill aims to protect school employees — principals, teachers, secretaries and bus drivers — from threats and assaults by adults who are not students. She cited examples including bus-stop confrontations and recent aggravated assaults on school property.
Leader Lambert questioned the amendment's language, saying subsection (d) excludes people who are enrolled in school as students or registered participants in school-sponsored activities, which he said could gut the amendment's practical effect and create defenses for perpetrators who are ticket holders or students. Chair Lady Littleton said the exclusion was intentional to avoid penalizing students who may have developmental disabilities or act out due to special needs; she emphasized the bill targets adults who are not students.
After debate about whether the amendment as written would undermine protection of school employees, Representative Lambert moved to send the bill to summer study. The motion carried on a roll call; the clerk reported 7 ayes and 2 nays, and the committee sent HB 7-21 as amended to summer study for further work.
Sponsors said the bill's goal remains protecting school staff and bus drivers from violent adults; critics asked for clearer drafting to avoid unintended gaps and to ensure the law cannot be used to ignore student assaults where appropriate.
