Provides for the development of a comprehensive campus security plan for the state university of New York, the city university of New York and community colleges;

BILL NUMBER:S1805

Title of bill

An act to amend the education law, in relation to the development of a comprehensive campus security plan

Purpose

To allow security officers more enforcement authority, to expand on existing campus security laws and regulations.

Summary of provisions

1) A new section 6435-a is created to require each campus to use its existing advisory committees on campus security to establish a comprehensive security plan. It also requires each campus to establish a relationship with its local police force.

2) The plan must address how the campus will respond to various types of emergencies. It must include law enforcement, emergency medical personnel, the use of various communications monitoring and sensor technology and the mapping of campus grounds and facilities.

3) The plan also requires that each campus conduct emergency/drills, to evaluate such drills against standards that have been developed in consultation with local law enforcement and that have been reviewed by the New York State Police.

4) The bill requires SUNY & CUNY to implement several pilot programs in order to test various technologies related to the identification of security threats and; how to respond to those threats.

5) The legislation also requires each campus to establish a protocol for the reporting of instances when there is a concern regarding the mental health of a student and it also requires that such campus increase the number of mental health counselors and provide funding for SUNY & CUNY to increase those numbers.

Justification

This bill is an effort to address campus security issues for two perspectives. The first is the importance of securing the safety of all students and personnel on a college campus. The second is to ensure that each campus develop a process to handle mental health issues in a manner consistent with the interests of the individual and his or her privacy and the safety of all college personnel and students. As we learned from the tragic events of Virginia Tech, the security and safety of students and college personnel can be related to the mental health of those on campus.

In order to address these issues this legislation requires that every college develop a comprehensive security plan that includes integration of local law enforcement and emergency medical personnel in response to emergency situations. It also requires that these

campuses conduct emergency drills and allow SUNY & CUNY to develop pilot or demonstration projects to test various technologies that could improve our ability to monitor, identify and respond to security related threats.

Legislative history

2009-10: S.876 2007-08: S.6264-A

Effective date

This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall have become a law.