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Senate committee approves bill moving school emergency mapping to homeland-security oversight
Summary
HB 652 would transfer school mapping responsibilities to the Kentucky Office of Homeland Security and the 911 Services Board, require on-site verification and interoperable mapping standards; law-enforcement witnesses told the committee the change would streamline response and improve safety.
House Bill 652, which the Senate Education Committee reported favorably and placed on consent, would move school critical-facility mapping from the Center for School Safety to the Kentucky Office of Homeland Security and the Kentucky 911 Services Board, require on-site verification of school maps and ensure mapping data is compatible with public-safety software.
Jeremy Thompson, chief of police in Elizabethtown and a representative of the Kentucky Chiefs Association, and other public-safety witnesses described how inconsistent or outdated floorplans can slow responses during critical incidents. Thompson recounted his experience at the Marshall County shooting and said standardized, interoperable maps would let responders across jurisdictions "speak the same language," improving communication and safety. Remote witness Alex Carney said roughly 20 other states have implemented similar mapping programs and cited Kansas and Minnesota as programs operating under 911 supervision.
Senators asked whether the measure carried a fiscal note; witnesses said the bill itself contains the statutory framework and any fiscal effect would likely be reflected in the regular budget process. The committee voted to report HB 652 unanimously and put it on consent.
Next steps: HB 652 moves forward per the Senate consent process.
