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Staff preview three bills on cybersecurity, funding formula and personnel ahead of interim hearing
Summary
A staff attorney previewed three draft bills to be reviewed in the law enforcement and criminal justice interim committee: code for LEA cybersecurity standards, a formula for future appropriations distribution between charters and districts, and personnel/visitor‑management changes including who may receive panic devices and the option to use private security for training.
Jeff Van Holten, the staff attorney assigned to the task force, reviewed three bills scheduled for the interim law enforcement and criminal justice committee.
Cybersecurity bill: Van Holten said the draft would codify cybersecurity standards developed with the Utah Technology Coordinating Council and position the Utah Cyber Center and the Utah Education and Telehealth Network to support LEA cybersecurity infrastructure and coordination.
Funding formula bill: He said the draft would create a distribution formula for any future legislative appropriation to school safety: a proportional share to charter schools based on statewide student population, split 20/80 among charters (20% evenly divided; 80% per pupil) and set funding amounts for school districts based on student population. Van Holten noted the current draft contains no embedded appropriation and that algebraic distribution rules were a drafting challenge.
Personnel and visitor management bill: The largest draft would clarify personnel and training rules, allow county security chiefs to designate private security companies for training support, move guardian stipend distribution responsibilities to the State Board of Education, expand who at a minimum is entitled to panic alert devices, broaden the definition of armed school security positions to include SFOs (special function officers) and establish minimum visitor management protocols for LEAs.
Van Holten said the drafts aim to tidy language and set minimum standards while permitting local flexibility; committee members asked for additional drafting input ahead of the interim hearing.
