HB 4223 — School Safety and Security Training (Summary)
Status and key dates
- Introduced: March 10–12, 2025 (Rep. Mike Harris)
- Passed House (with immediate effect): May 14, 2025 (Roll Call #111: Yeas 85, Nays 21)
- Implementation start: Beginning with the 2026–2027 school year (if enacted)
- Tie-bar: Will take effect only if both HB 4222 and HB 4315 are also enacted
Purpose
- Require governing bodies of public schools (and nonpublic schools unless they elect an exemption) to adopt and implement an annual school safety and security training plan so designated school personnel complete role‑appropriate training developed by state agencies.
Who is affected
- Public schools (all public school governing bodies must comply)
- Nonpublic schools (may opt out under the adopted substitute)
- School resource officers (SROs) assigned to schools
- School safety or security personnel (including non‑MCOLES security staff)
- Members of a school crisis response team (per HB 4222)
- All school staff (training emphasis on staff with regular contact with pupils)
- Local school districts, PSAs, and ISDs (administrative responsibilities to implement and document training)
Key provisions
- New section added to the Revised School Code (proposed MCL 380.1308g). Beginning 2026–27, governing bodies must develop/adopt and implement a school safety and security training plan consistent with training described in HB 4315 (proposed MCL 380.1308f).
- Required completion of annual, role‑specific trainings by SROs, school safety/security personnel, crisis response team members, and all school staff (as applicable).
- Nonpublic schools may elect to exempt themselves from the requirement (substitute H‑2 adopted).
- The Office of School Safety (Michigan State Police, MSP) coordinates development and posting of materials; MSP works with the Department of Attorney General (legal content) and the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) on role‑specific curricula.
Role‑specific training topics (developed/assigned by agencies)
- School Resource Officers: position‑specific training (in addition to standard law enforcement training) plus legal updates on limits and scope of authority in schools (MSP + Attorney General).
- School safety/security personnel: training on legal authority and limitations for personnel not licensed under MCOLES (Attorney General).
- Crisis response team members: target hardening; familiarity with law enforcement response to school emergencies; incident command systems (MSP Office of School Safety).
- School staff (regular contact with pupils): mandatory threat‑reporting protocols (MDE); OK2SAY/confidential tip line process (MSP Office of School Safety); emergency operations plans and response procedures (MSP Office of School Safety).
- All materials developed by MDE or the Attorney General must be provided to MSP’s Office of School Safety for public posting on its website.
Fiscal impact
- HB 4315 (training development) could create modest state costs for MSP, Attorney General, and MDE to develop or update materials; costs are expected to be marginal and likely absorbed within existing budgets or by minor interagency fees.
- HB 4223 itself has no direct state fiscal impact but could create administrative costs for local districts, PSAs, and ISDs to implement and track annual training; these costs are expected to be absorbed using existing staff time.
Other notes
- HB 4223 is tie‑barred to HB 4222 (crisis team provisions) and HB 4315 (training content/development). None of the sections take effect unless all tied bills are enacted.
- No penalties or enforcement mechanisms are specified in HB 4223 beyond the requirement that governing bodies ensure completion of the trainings.
- Supporters noted in committee reports include Michigan Catholic Conference, Michigan Association of Non‑public Schools, and Michigan Association of Secondary School Principals.
