DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Legislature has approved a bill that will require schools to have emergency plans in case there’s a shooter on campus.
The House voted unanimously Wednesday for the legislation, and follows a similar unanimous vote in the Senate earlier this month. It now heads to Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds.
The bill requires authorities who oversee public and private schools to have a “high-quality emergency operation plan” that includes responses to active shooters and natural disasters. The plan must be in place by June 2019. The measure also requires an annual drill, which may involve students.
A version of the bill was drafted before a Feb. 14 school shooting in Florida left 17 dead. The shooting has reignited a national debate over gun violence and community safety.
