A bill that passed through the Iowa Senate last week will require all school districts to have an emergency plan in place.

District 24 Senator Jerry Behn says Senate File 2364 requires all school districts to have a high-quality emergency operation plan that includes a protocol for active shooters and natural disasters. Part of establishing these plans is to consult with local law enforcement and the Iowa Department of Education. Behn points out one unique aspect of the bill is exempting the plans from the open records law.

“One of the things that we didn’t want is for some nutjob to be able to come in and say, ‘Hey based on the open records law, I want to see your school security plan. And we said, ‘That doesn’t make any sense at all.’”

Behn hopes that the bill will improve overall school security measures, especially in the aftermath of the recent school shootings across the country.

The bill passed the Senate 50 to 0. It is now in the House for consideration.