LANSING, Mich. (WZMQ) – In a bipartisan push to improve student safety, Michigan’s House of Representatives passed nine bills aimed at strengthening security protocols and mental health support in schools.
The package, which now heads to the state Senate, includes proposals to expand anonymous reporting programs, increase required lockdown drills, and introduce new safety-related positions within Michigan’s school districts.
“School safety is so important,” said Rep. Nancy DeBoer (R-Holland). “We’ll never arrive at a 100 percent solution, but at least we’ve taken these steps.”
Key measures in the legislation include:
- Expanding the ‘OK2SAY’ program, Michigan’s anonymous tipline for students. One bill would require OK2SAY contact information to be printed on all student ID cards. Others would mandate that Michigan State Police notify schools of any submitted tips within 24 hours and that the Office of School Safety compile quarterly reports on all received tips.
- Updating school safety training requirements. If enacted, the bills would require the Michigan State Police, the Attorney General’s Office, the Department of Education, and the Office of School Safety to collaborate on developing annual training materials. These resources would help schools build or refine their own emergency response plans.
- Introducing new staff roles in intermediate school districts: a dedicated emergency and safety manager and a mental health coordinator to address both physical and emotional well-being in schools.
- Modifying emergency drill requirements. The number of required fire drills would drop from five to four annually, while lockdown drills would increase from three to four. Additionally, schools — both public and private — would now be required to update their emergency operations plans at least once every three years, in coordination with local law enforcement.
Rep. Greg Markkanen (R-Hancock), a former teacher, praised the comprehensive nature of the bills.
“We can’t do enough for school safety,” Markkanen said. “This is a bipartisan package that we passed, and I think it’s really going to be just the beginning of how we look at school safety across Michigan.”
The legislation follows months of committee hearings in which lawmakers heard testimony from educators, law enforcement, and safety experts — much of it in response to the 2021 Oxford High School shooting that left four students dead and several others injured.
While the bills passed with support from both parties, some lawmakers say there’s still room for improvement. The bills are awaiting committee assignment in the Senate for further consideration.
