Page 12 - TFRW PNL July 2018

Inspire. Unite. Achieve.
Legislative Update

by VP Legislation Julie Faubel
[email protected]

School Safety Action Plan

Interim Charges for the Texas House and Senate Released

Following the release of Governor Abbott’s School and Firearm Safety Action Plan in reaction to the tragic
shootings at Santa Fe High School, House Speaker Joe Straus and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick have asked lawmakers in their
respective chambers to study the plan’s recommendations. The new interim charges call for the committees to
study ways to limit shootings and increase protections in Texas public schools.

To read the forty-page plan, please visit the following link:
https://gov.texas.gov/uploads/files/press/School_Safety_Action_Plan_05302018.pdf

TEXAS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Speaker Straus has issued nine new interim charges to committees in the Texas House, all related to school safety
and mental health strategies for children.

“The House will work closely with educators, parents, and state agencies over the next couple
of months to ensure that immediate steps are taken to improve school safety before students

return to campus in August. Also, I strongly encourage Members to suggest their own ideas for
discussion and to share solutions that they have heard from their constituents,” said

Speaker Straus.

To read the full text of these charges please use the following link:
http://www.house.state.tx.us/news/press-releases/?id=6533

The following are a few of the newly released charges:

Committee on Appropriations
Examine and evaluate the availability and cost of federal funding and Governor’s Criminal Justice grants to improve
school safety, including improving access to mental health services for children, improved school safety, and
enhanced firearm safety.

Committee on Public Education
Review the effectiveness of schools’ current emergency operation plans and recommend improvements to ensure
student safety. Research available violence prevention strategies for school personnel to utilize.

Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence
Examine current statutes designed to protect minors from accessing firearms without proper supervision and make
recommendations to ensure responsible and safe firearm storage. Study the possibility of a “red flag” law that
would provide a legal process for temporarily removing guns from someone considered potentially dangerous by
family members or law enforcement.

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PRESIDENT’S NEWSLETTER | JULY 2018 12 TEXAS FEDERATION OF REPUBLICAN WOMEN