BILL NUMBER:S1554

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  compre-
hensive  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  person-
nel,  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 is
sues 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 emer-
gency 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:  2011-12 S.1805; 2009-10 S.876; 2007-08. S.6264-A.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

EFFECTIVE DATE:  This act shall take effect immediately.