Assembly Bill 3205 by Assemblymember Patrick O’Donnell (D—Long Beach), which would require older classrooms to have locks that can be locked from the inside, passed the Assembly Education Committee Wednesday.
“The recent Florida tragedy reminds us that we must do more to protect our students and teachers,” O’Donnell said. “As a teacher for many years, I have participated in many school lockdowns. I know firsthand that our classrooms need doors that lock from the inside so that no one is left vulnerable in a campus emergency. By requiring classroom locks that lock from the inside, AB 3205 will save lives.”
Current law requires all schools built after 2012 to have locks that lock from the inside of the classrooms. In the event of a campus emergency, teachers in older schools without indoor locks must go outside to lock their doors. AB 3205 better protects these teachers by requiring inside door locks on modernization projects seeking state school bond funds.
The bill now moves to the Assembly Appropriations Committee.
Source: O’Donnell’s office
