School safety center stage in Texas House

AUSTIN (Nexstar) -- The Texas House of Representatives on Monday will consider three bills that aim to improve school safety and security by mandating armed officers in every campus, providing more funding for infrastructure enhancements, and adding new guidelines for safety protocols.

House Bill 3 is the legislature's most comprehensive overhaul of safety policies and procedures, authored by State. Rep. Dustin Burrows, the Lubbock Republican who chaired the House investigation of the Robb Elementary mass shooting.

The bill would require every public school district to place at least one armed school security officer or staff member on every campus.

The bill will also create a minimum school safety allotment for every district of at least $10 for every student and $15,000 per campus. Districts must use that additional funding to improve school safety in ways such as hiring officers and school safety directors, installing barriers and security cameras, and providing mental health personnel.

House Bill 13 follows on the House Calendar. Rep. King King's bill would make further provisions for mental health training and armed security.

Under this bill, each school district employee who regularly interacts with students would need to complete "mental health first aid training" to learn how to recognize and support students with mental heath issues. Costs for that training would be covered by the Texas Education Agency.

HB 13 also requires "school guardians" to complete training that equips them to carry a weapon on campus. These employees would receive a stipend of up to $25,000 per year to fulfill the responsibility.

House Bill 669 by Houston Democrat Shawn Thierry would further require districts to implement silent panic alert technology in every classroom. The bill asserts these buttons would allow for "staff to immediately contact emergency services "instant notification to law enforcement or medical personnel in the event of an active shooter event or other emergency situation requiring immediate response." Districts would be allowed to use their preexisting school safety allotment to purchase the technology.

HB 3 and HB 13 would cost the state nearly $2 billion over the next two years. Both have garnered vast bipartisan support in the House and are expected to pass on Monday.

The House gavels in at 1 p.m. Check back here for updates as news develops.