Bolstering Security in Oklahoma

Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin has signed four bills into law to improve security and in the state’s schools.

“The bills signed into law today will ensure that schools are well prepared for emergencies of all kinds,” the governor said in a news release. “They’ll also help to provide more training and better coordination between law enforcement and education professionals. These measures could help to save lives.”

The new laws:

•SB 256 requires districts to conduct lockdown drills in addition to fire, intruder, and tornado emergency drills.

•SB 257 directs the Oklahoma Office of Homeland Security to designate a division within the agency as the Oklahoma School Security Institute. The Institute would act as a hub of resources related to school security and risk assessments to campuses.

•SB 258 creates an annual deadline of Nov. 1 for higher-education institutions to provide reports to emergency responders and agencies with details of updated plans for protecting students, faculty and visitors from disasters and emergencies.

•SB 259 requires school authorities to immediately report to law enforcement if a firearm is discovered on a student that is not a minor or an adult that isn’t authorized to possess a firearm on school property. Also, the bill states that the weapon in question is to be handed over to law enforcement.