H.B. 43 School Security Amendments

What this bill does

This bill sets a formula for how school security money would be divided among school districts, charter schools, and law enforcement agencies, but only if the Legislature later provides ongoing funding. It appropriates no money now, and it lets districts and agencies use funds for school safety needs, including required compliance such as training.

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Every vote

• 10 yes, 0 no, 1 absentHouse Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Committee: vote to approve it · Feb 5, 2026Who voted how
• 25 yes, 47 no, 3 absentHouse vote, which failed · Feb 17, 2026Who voted how

Hearings and debates

• Feb 5, 2026 House Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Committee▶ Watch
  Transcript (8 turns)

  1. Committee chair1:03:58

     Representative Wilcox?

  2. Rep. Ryan D. Wilcox1:03:59

     Yeah, this one's, uh, HB 43. Similar numbers drafted in a row. Um, 43. Um, our drafting attorney kept referring you to is the dry pipes bill, so to speak. Remember, if you recall, this is the, the distribution plan primarily. Um, if and when we're able to get ongoing funding, whether that's appropriated in this bill or in another bill in a future year, this is how, um, that will be spent. It also includes, uh, a change in this first substitute that you have in front of you that, um, changes a lot of it, meaning it went from, uh, you know, $35 million fiscal note in the first one, um, to, uh, $0 fiscal note, um, which is quite a change. Um, that one, uh, ref, the current fiscal note reflects the fact that, that this is the plan for the long term. It also includes, um, an adjustment that will allow us to, to use excess funds from, uh, one of the accounts to automatically or put towards school safety in years when we have excess funds. Probably not this year based on our briefing today, but, um, that's what that is. It's the distribution plan from, for how we're going to prioritize, uh, recognizes the same, really the same bill, uh, functionally that we talked about in November.

  3. Committee chair1:05:27

     Okay. Um, to the committee for any clarifying questions. Okay. Seeing none, uh, to the public, anyone like to speak to this bill? Seeing none and none online will bring it back, uh, to the committee for any potential action. Representative Shepherd, did you wanna do that one as well?

  4. Rep. Jill Shepherd1:05:55

     Yes, I move that we favorably recommend House Bill 43, substitute one School Security Security Amendments to the house floor.

  5. Committee chair1:06:05

     Okay. Thank you. Uh, would you like to speak to that?

  6. Rep. Lisa Shepherd1:06:10

     I'll waive. Okay. And Representative Wilcox?

  7. Rep. Ryan D. Wilcox1:06:14

     Yeah, I'll waive. Thank you.

  8. Committee chair1:06:15

     Okay. Back to the committee for, uh, we'll take have before HB 43. First substitute school safety program support program. Uh, for a voice vote. All in favor say aye. Aye. Aye. Any opposed? Seeing none. That passes unanimously.

• Feb 17, 2026 House floor debate▶ Watch
  Transcript (32 turns)

  1. Speaker (presiding)35:10

     Our substitute house bill 43 School Security Amendments by Representative Wilcox. This bill was earned in law enforcement and criminal justice with the vote of 10 0 1 Representative Wilcox.

  2. Rep. Ryan D. Wilcox35:21

     Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker. This one is the, uh, the financial, uh, piece for the school security project. Um, one of the things that we've worked on and, and, uh, kind of struggled with in the past, we've had had one time money a number of times, um, but we've struggled to identify sources of income for ongoing funding for folks. And what this does is it doesn't even appropriate any money. But what it does say is, if and when we have the year where we're able to do that, um, this is how we're, we're going to spend it. We've adopted the distribution formula, uh, from, uh, the school, uh, distribution program already. Uh, that prioritizes our rural schools that are further away and have more difficulty providing services for folks. Um, it also, uh, contemplates need, and those that, um, have very specific needs and safety issues in their schools so that they are also prioritized. Um, this also, um, allows for, uh, funding mechanism, uh, when we do have overruns, that that can be distributed as well. Um, and then I do, I need to make an amendment that's kind of funny. Go ahead, Hawkins.

  3. Speaker (presiding)36:43

     Great. Representative Wilcox. Let's, did you finish your presentation? Yeah, let's Finish Mostly. Okay. Uh, representative Hawkins, hang on just a minute. Sam Hawkins.

  4. Rep. Jon Hawkins36:57

     Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to move amendment number one.

  5. Speaker (presiding)37:02

     Thank you. Representative. Would you like to speak to that?

  6. Rep. Jon Hawkins37:05

     No, I think it's a good amendment.

  7. Speaker (presiding)37:07

     Thank you. Representative Hawkins, Representative Wilcox on the motion to adopt amendment number one under your name.

  8. Rep. Ryan D. Wilcox37:13

     I love the First Amendment. I hope you do, too. Um, this one actually, uh, came from our staff this afternoon. It's a good idea. And that is, uh, given, given that it relies on a formula that it currently exists, if, uh, it basically just says that if it doesn't reach a certain threshold, that they just, uh, prorate whatever that is. So if a district would've received $250,000 under a given formula, uh, to help with this, then they, uh, would get a prorated portion of that. Uh, that's, that's the amendment.

  9. Speaker (presiding)37:48

     Thank you, Representative Wilcox discussion to the motion to adopt amendment number one under Representative Wilcox's name C none. Representative Hawkins. To sum on the motion to adopt Amendment one, I'll waive, this motion has been waived. We'll go ahead and place the motion, the motion before us the house adopt amendment number one under Representative Wilcox's name on first substitute HB 43. All in favor say aye. Any opposed? Rule that motion passes. The bill's been amended and before the body for further consideration and debate none.

  10. Speaker (presiding)38:25

      Back to you. Oh, representative Tracy Millard, the sponsor, yield to a question. Representative Wilcox, will you yield?

  11. Rep. Ryan D. Wilcox38:32

      Happy to, yes. Representative Miller.

  12. Rep. Tracy Miller38:35

      So, um, on the fiscal, no. So it, it's, it's zero, but then it could cost up to, uh, uh, 35 to 46 million. Is that just dependent on, at some point in time if the legislature, um, allocates money? Or is this create some sort of automatic funding stream in the future?

  13. Rep. Ryan D. Wilcox38:58

      Yeah, Mr. Speaker, it, uh, it's all, it's like a kind of a trigger bill. We've passed those in the past. If and when we have money to spend, that's what's anticipated that it would take to cover, um, what they need, that there are other estimates that are higher. Um, we would go for, you know, 1% of the WPU if we were going given our fantasy land, uh, version of this. But there is no money and there is no obligation that isn't current, uh, currently already in law under this bill. Um, it is just, uh, this is how we're going to spend it if and when we have it.

  14. Rep. Tracy Miller39:39

      I have a follow up question.

  15. Speaker (presiding)39:40

      Representative Wilcox, we yield to a series of questions.

  16. Rep. Ryan D. Wilcox39:43

      Sure. Yes. Representative Miller.

  17. Rep. Tracy Miller39:45

      Thank you. So it, so is there a trigger that it, at some point it will just trigger automatically? Uh, there's no automatic trigger until we put ongoing money into this? That's, that would be the, the trigger, right?

  18. Rep. Ryan D. Wilcox40:02

      So, uh, the plan is laid out, the School security task force, studied it all year, the education advisory board, all of that. And this is the formula that they came up with, uh, wherein if we had all the, you know, if we had a hundred million ongoing, this is how we'd want it distributed and how we'd, uh, fulfill our obligations under the existing law.

  19. Rep. Tracy Miller40:24

      Thank you. Yep.

  20. Speaker (presiding)40:28

      Thank you Representative Miller. Further discussion to the bill, Representative Peterson, Uh, with the sponsor, yield to a question.

  21. Rep. Ryan D. Wilcox40:34

      Representative Wilcox, we yield to a question? Sure. Yes. Representative Peterson.

  22. Rep. Thomas W. Peterson40:39

      Thank you. Um, so I'm reading, uh, in the bill and it's your new sub, so thanks for giving me a little patience while I'm reviewing it. So, um, it looks like, you know, we'll make this calculation if we, if we hit this 11% and there's extra money and it goes into this account, sure. But it's distributed first to law enforcement agencies at 10%. And then the second thing it talks about is then an LEA shall pay the law enforcement entity for the training. So I guess my question is, um, is this money only available for training? Is it not available for all of the requirements we've put on schools related to, um, school safety? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

  23. Rep. Ryan D. Wilcox41:17

      No, this is available for all of those things. Um, those particular, the training pieces are the most important parts of anything that we've done. Um, once we get the one time, you know, the secure vestibules and the bleed kits and all of that kind of stuff in place, the ongoing training is the most expensive and the most important part, bleed kits are only useful to the extent that people know how to use them in the event of an emergency. Um, the cost that, uh, law enforcement in particular has have borne, uh, they've really just absorbed, uh, from the beginning. And so this is an effort to make sure that we have the bandwidth and the capability to continue to provide that, and to make sure that in the future, that that continues. So, but it, there's no restriction that it is just to those things. The distribution formula re remains, uh, for the rest of the funds.

  24. Rep. Thomas W. Peterson42:12

      So the 10%, uh, I'm gonna ask a follow up question if this speaker will allow, um, the 10% would go to law enforcement then, then

  25. Speaker (presiding)42:19

      Representative Peterson, hang on just a minute. Yes. Representative Wilcox will yield to another question.

  26. Rep. Ryan D. Wilcox42:23

      Sure. Yes, Representative Peterson. Thank

  27. Rep. Thomas W. Peterson42:25

      You. So the 10% would go to law enforcement. LEAs would be required to pay first law enforcement for the training they're required to do, and then whatever's remaining, then they might be able to use for capital expenses related to, um, things like single access point entry ways and panic buttons and things like that.

  28. Rep. Ryan D. Wilcox42:47

      Whatever. Yeah, whatever is remaining Mr. Speaker would be, you know, just up to that local LEA, whatever they needed, whatever they're in, all of the things that we do, uh, for school safety and security, they would be, uh, responsible for that. They could use it for literally anything else.

  29. Rep. Thomas W. Peterson43:06

      Thank you. I appreciate, I appreciate the sponsor's answers. I guess I, I, as I'm reading this bill, I, I'm not seeing that clarity that I would anticipate from his, um, responses. So I guess that's just still my outstanding question. Thanks so much.

  30. Speaker (presiding)43:21

      Thank you, representative Corinne Peterson. Further discussion to the bill, none. Back to your Representative Wilcox for summation.

  31. Rep. Ryan D. Wilcox43:31

      Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Um, I apologize if I was unclear, but yes, anything, uh, school districts, LEAs, uh, charters, et cetera, would be able to use under that bill. Um, any of the remaining toward whatever they needed, um, in compliance with the school safety, uh, issues already in the law, uh, we are just making sure that we also are compensating our law enforcement partners, uh, this time around for the services they provide to our schools, uh, in that case. Um, I, I appreciate, uh, the conversation and the questions. I appreciate that we're digging into this. I know, uh, it's been a long time coming and we certainly hope that we can figure that out and, and, uh, you know, have some ongoing funding one of these days. Uh, but we also are providing, uh, in these accounts and opportunity for us to build that slowly over time so we can make sure our schools have the support that they need. Ask for your support. Thank you.

  32. Speaker (presiding)44:32

      Thank you. Representative Wilcox voting will now be open on first substitute HP 43. Representative Snider, would you like to vote? Representative Snider, see now present, having voted voting is now, now closed. First substitute HB 43 PA fails to pass this body with 25 yes votes, 47 no votes. Who will be returned to staff for filing? Madam Reading Clerk.