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Utah Senate approves bill to allow local school security locks, restores local discretion
Summary
The Utah Senate passed SB87 to adopt an exception to the building and fire codes so local school districts can decide whether to install classroom barricade or security-lock devices; sponsor said the measure restores local control and requires fire marshal approval for specific devices.
Senator Don L. Wyler (Senator Wyler) told the Senate that SB87 would "remove the legal barrier" that has prevented schools from installing certain classroom security devices since the state adopted the International Building Code and International Fire Code in 2012. The bill adopts exception E of those codes to allow local school districts and principals to decide whether to install devices that permit teachers to lock or barricade classroom doors during an active-shooter event, subject to approval by the state fire marshal.
The bill’s sponsor framed the change as restoring local control rather than requiring installation. "All this bill does is remove the barrier that’s in place right now," Wyler said. He said he had worked with the state fire marshal to limit acceptable devices to those that emergency responders can unlock from outside — for example, a slip-under-the-door unlocking device held by police and fire.
Senator Hilliard asked whether the measure included any structural or public-safety safeguards and whether it would create obligations beyond allowing districts to debate the issue. "Is there any structural, or public or other public safety piece that we need to be aware of?" Hilliard asked. Wyler responded that in practice the state fire marshal would have approval authority and that the bill is intended to prompt local boards and principals to evaluate the trade-offs. Wyler acknowledged that there are "some good arguments on both sides" and that the measure only opens the option, not mandates installation.
On procedural motions, the Senate moved SB87 to third reading and recorded a roll-call vote. The Clerk announced that SB87 "having received 25 yay votes, 0 nay votes" will be read a third time and proceed. The record shows the bill passed its procedural step on the floor that day.
Why it matters: sponsors and supporters said the change enables local districts to respond to school-safety concerns raised by parents and staff without a statewide prohibition. Opponents and some questioners pressed for assurances that any adopted devices would meet fire- and emergency-access safety standards and noted the need for local deliberation and coordination with emergency responders.
Next steps: The Senate reading completed on the floor; subsequent legislative steps include enrollment/transmission to the House as applicable and, if passed by both chambers, any implementation or guidance from the state fire marshal.
