The proposed draft law on school risk assessment has been delayed

BOISE, Idaho – Proposed House Bill 5, which would establish school threat assessment teams and provide legal immunity to participating schools and districts, has been delayed in the Idaho Legislature.

The bill was scheduled to be heard on Wednesday after being introduced on January 13th.

The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Marco Erickson of Idaho Falls, said the hearing was postponed to make minor changes to the wording.

Erickson has many years of experience working with families and youth. He has 30 years of experience in drug prevention, drug treatment and mental health support, he said.

The legislation focuses on implementing Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management (BTAM) in Idaho schools. BTAM is violence prevention training designed to help employees identify and respond to potential violent incidents before they occur.

“We’re working really hard to save lives in all schools,” Erickson told KTVB. “We just want to see good outcomes for the children and prevent any harm from occurring in their schools.”

The State Board of Education already offers BTAM training through its School Safety and Security Program to schools and districts that request it.

Under the proposed legislation, specialized BTAM teams consisting of school staff, school resource officers, nurses, mental health specialists and others would receive training to assess potential threats. The bill also allows for the participation of external entities, including the Department of Health and Human Services and advocacy groups, to join a team if necessary.

“Let’s say they brought a weapon to school, like a knife, and that was against school policy,” Erickson told KTVB. “They would assess the threat. Was there a threat? Was that just a coincidence or was that a hunting trip they went on over the weekend?”

A key provision of the bill would provide legal immunity to districts that implement the BTAM model and follow its protocols, even if an incident occurs. Erickson described the protection as an incentive for districts to participate in the program.

“It’s a good way to motivate someone to do it without having to force someone to do it,” Erickson said. “They could still opt out and not do that if they don’t want to, but that puts them at a little bit more risk.”

An idea for a bill like this has gained support from school districts and district attorneys across the state, Erickson said. Some of them were expected to testify at Wednesday’s hearing.

Erickson said an active shooter incident several years ago in eastern Idaho that led to ongoing litigation highlighted the need for legal protections for school districts.

While today’s hearing was postponed, Erickson indicated the bill could potentially be brought back next week with minor changes or reintroduced as new legislation that retains the same core goals.