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Students and safety advocates press committee to make school drills trauma‑informed; working group plan backed by many witnesses
Summary
Lawmakers heard emotional testimony from students and parents and broad support for HB 7077, which would require trauma‑informed, age‑appropriate crisis drills in Connecticut schools and limit surprise active‑shooter simulations that many witnesses described as harmful.
A bipartisan working group’s recommendations to change how Connecticut schools conduct crisis drills drew broad support at the Education Committee public hearing. HB 7077 would create a statutory framework requiring age‑appropriate, trauma‑informed crisis-preparedness measures and would limit or prohibit simulation tactics that many students and clinicians say can be retraumatizing.
Student witnesses gave emotional testimony. “When I hear the alarm, there’s always a split second of terror,” said Skyler Urbina, a Newtown High School sophomore. “These thoughts don’t go away when the drill ends.” Callie Taylor, also a Newtown student, told lawmakers that…
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