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<section article="ged" article_name="Education" number="7-1513" title_number="7" title_name="Public Schools" subtitle_number="15" subtitle_name="Maryland Safe to Learn Act">
  <level label="a">
    <level label="1">
      <text>In this section the following words have the meanings indicated.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>“Emergency event” means an emergency situation that requires an immediate response by first responders.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>“First responder” has the meaning stated in § 1–301 of the Public Safety Article.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>“Program” means the Secure Schools Emergency Response Grant Program.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="5">
      <text>“Public safety agency” has the meaning stated in § 1–301 of the Public Safety Article.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="6">
      <text>“Public safety answering point” has the meaning stated in § 1–301 of the Public Safety Article.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <level label="1">
      <text>There is a Secure Schools Emergency Response Grant Program administered by the Center.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The purpose of the Program is to provide grants to local school systems to improve emergency notification systems and communication between public elementary and secondary school personnel, a public safety answering point, and a public safety agency during emergency events.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>A local school system awarded a grant by the Center under the Program shall use the funds to:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>Improve emergency notification systems; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Enhance communications within the school and with public safety agencies.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>Each county board, in consultation with local law enforcement and a local public safety answering point, may apply to the Center for a grant under the Program.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <text>An emergency notification system and the communications under subsection (b)(3) of this section may include the following:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>A cellular phone application–based emergency event system that:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>Can be integrated with a local public safety answering point; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Is able to:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>Place a standard telephone call to 9–1–1;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>Text communications between authorized users and a public safety answering point and public safety agency;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="3">
          <text>Provide text messages, e–mails, and push notifications to authorized users, including school personnel, first responders, and other public safety agency personnel; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="4">
          <text>Automatically transmit school floor plans, school emergency plans, and relevant contact information to first responders or public safety agency personnel responding to a panic button event at a school without further action needed by the user reporting the emergency;</text>
        </level>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The capability to generate an automated emergency alert notification to all public and nonpublic schools located in reasonable proximity to an emergency situation that is determined to be an imminent threat to school campuses or school personnel by the public safety answering point receiving the report; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>Intercoms, school public address systems, bidirectional antennas or boosters, and other technology that will improve emergency notification and communication, as identified by the Center.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <text>On or before September 1, 2026, the Center shall ensure that the Program is operating and available to each county board.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="e">
    <text>The Governor may include in the annual budget bill an appropriation for the Program.</text>
  </level>
</section>
