Changes may be coming to active-shooter drills at Maryland schools.State law currently requires the drills, but it doesn’t mandate that school systems notify parents, students or school staff ahead of time.Montgomery County Delegate Jared Solomon, D-District 18, considers the legislation he’s sponsoring, House Bill 515, a reasonable way to keep youth safe without further creating anxiety or harming their mental health.”You see something on social media … from a student, saying, ‘There’s a shooter in the building,’ when it just may be a drill. Or, having a child come home and getting off the bus, saying, ‘We pretended that we all got shot today,'” Solomon said.Solomon introduced legislation that mandates the state send rules on safe gun storage to families. It also would prohibit live simulations of gunfire and blood because it traumatizes participants, Solomon said.The bill allows law enforcement to train without student involvement. The measure would also require school systems to notify parents, students and staff when a drill is going to take place. Solomon said prior notification gives parents an opportunity to talk about it and prepare their children.”There is a way to have that conversation in an age-appropriate way to say we are going to make sure that we can all be safe today,” Solomon said.Students went to Annapolis to support of a package of gun safety bills. Some of them told 11 News they are tired of the drills, and some referred to themselves as “the lockdown generation.””I don’t think my generation should have to grow up in a world where gun violence isn’t an if, but a when,” said Fiona Feingold, a Montgomery County student.”You have to be prepared for that, but it’s also not OK that our nation is so plagued by gun violence that we have to train for that,” said Ava Ginsberg, a Montgomery County student.Solomon said he believes his bill is common sense legislation and said he’s having no trouble finding others to support it.
Changes may be coming to active-shooter drills at Maryland schools.
State law currently requires the drills, but it doesn’t mandate that school systems notify parents, students or school staff ahead of time.
Montgomery County Delegate Jared Solomon, D-District 18, considers the legislation he’s sponsoring, House Bill 515, a reasonable way to keep youth safe without further creating anxiety or harming their mental health.
“You see something on social media … from a student, saying, ‘There’s a shooter in the building,’ when it just may be a drill. Or, having a child come home and getting off the bus, saying, ‘We pretended that we all got shot today,'” Solomon said.
Solomon introduced legislation that mandates the state send rules on safe gun storage to families. It also would prohibit live simulations of gunfire and blood because it traumatizes participants, Solomon said.
The bill allows law enforcement to train without student involvement. The measure would also require school systems to notify parents, students and staff when a drill is going to take place. Solomon said prior notification gives parents an opportunity to talk about it and prepare their children.
“There is a way to have that conversation in an age-appropriate way to say we are going to make sure that we can all be safe today,” Solomon said.
Students went to Annapolis to support of a package of gun safety bills. Some of them told 11 News they are tired of the drills, and some referred to themselves as “the lockdown generation.”
“I don’t think my generation should have to grow up in a world where gun violence isn’t an if, but a when,” said Fiona Feingold, a Montgomery County student.
“You have to be prepared for that, but it’s also not OK that our nation is so plagued by gun violence that we have to train for that,” said Ava Ginsberg, a Montgomery County student.
Solomon said he believes his bill is common sense legislation and said he’s having no trouble finding others to support it.
