Panel: Texas agencies report progress implementing HB 33 school‑safety rules, but sheriffs seek tweaks

The Committee on Homeland Security, Public Safety and Veterans Affairs heard testimony describing how House Bill 33’s school‑safety provisions are being implemented across Texas. John Scott, chief of school safety and security at the Texas Education Agency, said schools must now submit facility reviews and use a common “standard response protocol,” and that TEA is helping districts complete the new “sentinel” review before students occupy renovated campuses. "All new campuses or renovated campuses must meet the same standards as all schools," Scott said.

Mike George, assistant chief in the Department of Public Safety’s Homeland Security Division, described DPS work on county mutual‑aid agreements and large‑scale exercises required by the law. "Per the bill, these agreements were supposed to be in place by January 1st of this year," he said, and reported that about 150 counties had finalized initial agreements while others remain in progress. TCOLE’s deputy director, T.J. Vineyard, described new training and inspection duties for agencies and said TCOLE will require supervisors and public information officers to be designated and to complete certified courses.

Sheriffs and police chiefs asked the committee to refine the bill’s prescriptive language. Skyler Hearn of the Sheriff’s Association said the biennial cycle for tabletop and in‑person exercises should be adjusted to reduce travel and overtime burdens on small agencies, and he and other sheriffs urged repeal or clarification of the mutual‑aid sections where feasible. Brian Hawthorne, speaking for the association, emphasized local resource constraints and asked the Legislature to direct more distribution of existing LEO grant funds. The committee agreed to follow up on technical clarifications and distribution of training funds.

The panel provided several specific takeaways: (1) TEA will continue to assist districts with sentinel reviews and PIO training; (2) DPS will push mutual‑aid templates and county planning materials; and (3) sheriffs asked lawmakers for statutory tweaks on exercise cadence and PIO refresher requirements to reduce cost and operational risk. The committee said staff will coordinate with witnesses on recommended drafting language.