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Schools Could Be Required To Hold Lockdown Drills Twice a School Year

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) - All California public, charter, and private schools may need to hold two lockdown drills a school year in order to prepare for a safety threat.

Senate Bill 541 would require students in grades K-12, in schools with enrollments of 50 students or more, to participate in the lockdown drills. Current law already requires schools to hold fire drills during the school year.

The bill's author, Senator Patricia Bates, cited the need for schools to be prepared for worst-case scenarios, saying "SB 541 will save lives and prepare all students, faculty, and parents to know what to do during active threats.

Schools go into lockdown when during a "situation that presents an immediate and ongoing danger to the safety of pupils, faculty, staff, and visitors by a person using firearms or other types of weapons or displaying erratic behavior."

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