Rep. Norm Thurston — Voting Record

Bill

Number

S.B. 249 (2025GS)

Sponsor

Sen. Cullimore, Kirk A.

Final action

Governor Signed 3/25/2025

Outcome

Became law — signed by Gov. Spencer J. Cox

Summary

What it does

• This bill:
• defines the term, "forcible felony";
• addresses a school integration plan for a student who commits a forcible felony; and
• makes technical and conforming changes.

Every vote on this bill

Bill text

5
53G-8-102
53G-8-213
53G-8-701.8
0
Student Integration Amendments
2025 GENERAL SESSION
STATE OF UTAH
Chief Sponsor: Kirk A. Cullimore
House Sponsor: Calvin Roberts
LONG TITLE
General Description:
This bill addresses the integration of a student into a school upon the commission of a 
crime by the student.
Highlighted Provisions:
This bill:
defines the term, "forcible felony";
addresses a school integration plan for a student who commits a forcible felony; and
makes technical and conforming changes.
Money Appropriated in this Bill:
None
Other Special Clauses:
None
Utah Code Sections Affected:
AMENDS:
53G-8-102
, as enacted by Laws of Utah 2018, Chapter 3
53G-8-213
, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2024, Chapter 75
53G-8-701.8
, as enacted by Laws of Utah 2024, Chapter 21
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
Section 1, Section 
53G-8-102
 is amended to read:
53G-8-102
. Definitions for chapter.
Reserved
As used in this chapter, "forcible felony" means the same as that term is 
defined in Section 
76-2-402
.
Section 2, Section 
53G-8-213
 is amended to read:
53G-8-213
. Reintegration plan for student alleged to have committed violent 
felony or weapon offense.
(1)
As used in this section,"multidisciplinary team" means: 
(a)
the local education agency; 
(b)
the juvenile court; 
(c)
the Division of Juvenile Justice and Youth Services; 
(d)
a school safety and security specialist designated under Section 
53G-8-701.6
;
(e)
school safety and security director designated under Section 
53G-8-701.8
;
(f)
a school resource officer if applicable; and 
(g)
any other relevant party that should be involved in a reintegration plan.
(2)
If a school district receives a notification from the juvenile court or a law enforcement 
agency that a student was arrested for, charged with, or adjudicated in the juvenile court 
for a serious offense, the school shall develop a reintegration plan for the student with a 
multidisciplinary team, the student, and the student's parent or guardian, within five 
school days after the day on which the school receives a notification.
(3)
The school may deny admission to the student until the school completes the 
reintegration plan under Subsection (2).
(4)
The reintegration plan under Subsection (2) shall address:
(a)
a behavioral intervention for the student;
(b)
a short-term mental health or counseling service for the student;
(c)
an academic intervention for the student; and
(d)
if the serious offense was directed at a school employee or another student within the 
school, notification of the reintegration plan to that school employee or student and 
the student's parent.
(5)
A school district may not reintegrate a student into a school where:
(a)
a student or staff member has a protective order against the student being 
reintegrated; or
(b)
a student or staff member is the victim of a sexual crime
 or forcible felony
committed by the student being reintegrated.
(6)
(a)
Notwithstanding Subsection 
(2)
, a school district may elect to not integrate a 
student into a school if the student has committed, or allegedly committed, a forcible 
felony.
(b)
If a school district elects to not integrate a student under Subsection 
(6)(a)
, the school 
district shall provide alternative education options for the student.
(6)
(7)
A reintegration plan under this section is classified as a protected record under 
Section 
63G-2-305
.
(7)
(8)
All other records of disclosures under this section are governed by Title 63G, 
Chapter 2, Government Records Access and Management Act, and the Family 
Educational Rights and Privacy Act, 20 U.S.C. Sec. 1232g.
Section 3, Section 
53G-8-701.8
 is amended to read:
53G-8-701.8
. School safety and security director.
(1)
Except as provided in Subsection 
53G-8-701.5
(3), an LEA shall designate a school 
safety and security director as the LEA point of contact for the county security chief, 
local law enforcement, and the state security chief.
(2)
A school safety and security director shall:
(a)
participate in and satisfy the training requirements, including the annual and biannual 
requirements, described in:
(i)
Section 
53-22-105
 for school guardians;
(ii)
Section 
53G-8-702
 for school resource officers; and
(iii)
Section 
53G-8-704
 for armed school security guards;
(b)
have a valid concealed carry permit issued under 
Title 53, Chapter 5, Part 7
, 
Concealed Firearm Act;
(c)
if the designee is an employee of an LEA, participate on the multidisciplinary team 
the LEA establishes;
(d)
coordinate security responses among, if applicable, the following individuals in the 
LEA that employs the school safety and security director:
(i)
school safety and security specialists;
(ii)
school resource officers;
(iii)
armed school security guards; and
(iv)
school guardians; and
(e)
collaborate and maintain effective communications with local law enforcement, a 
county security chief, the LEA, and school-based behavioral and mental health 
professionals to ensure adherence with all policies, procedures, protocols, rules, and 
regulations relating to school safety and security.
(3)
A school safety and security director:
(a)
does not have authority to act in a law enforcement capacity; and
(b)
may, at the LEA that employs the director:
(i)
take actions necessary to prevent or abate an active threat;
(ii)
temporarily detain an individual when the school safety and security director has 
reasonable cause to believe the individual has committed or is about to commit a 
forcible felony
, as that term is defined in Section 
76-2-402
;
.
(4)
Notwithstanding Subsection 
76-10-505.5
(4), if a school safety and security director is 
carrying a firearm, the school safety and security director shall carry the school safety 
and security director's firearm in a concealed manner and may not, unless during an 
active threat, display or open carry a firearm while on school grounds.
(5)
A school may use the services of the school safety and security director on a temporary 
basis to satisfy the school safety personnel requirement of Subsection 
53G-8-701.5
(2).
(6)
The state security chief shall:
(a)
for each school safety and security director, track each school safety and security 
director by collecting the photograph and the name and contact information for each 
school safety and security director; and
(b)
make the information described in Subsection (6)(a) readily available to each law 
enforcement agency in the state categorized by LEA.
Section 4. 
Effective Date.
This bill takes effect on 
May 7, 2025
.
3-12-25 2:51 PM