House OKs school‑safety task force under Commerce & Insurance

The House passed Senate Bill 22‑07 to create a school safety task force housed under the Department of Commerce and Insurance, a measure sponsor Shirley Moody said was intended to draw on expertise from the state fire marshal, architects, and K‑12 facilities professionals. The bill moves oversight of the task force to the department because it houses the state fire marshal.

‘‘This is strictly dealing with our school safety for our public and charter schools,’’ Chairlady Moody said, describing the membership and quarterly meeting requirement. Sponsors said the task force will recommend facility‑level safety standards and reporting mechanisms. The House adopted the bill after debate concluded and recorded the vote; the clerk announced the constitutional majority required and the Speaker declared passage.

Members asked about the task force’s transparency and the composition of voting members; amendments narrowed voting to the officials named in the bill and clarified designees would be non‑voting. The measure sets deadlines for the task force’s recommendations and assigns the Department of Commerce and Insurance follow‑up duties for coordination and report submission.