A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to encourage private schools to coordinate with local law enforcement agencies to adopt school risk management plans, to provide that certain employees and volunteers at private schools may carry certain weapons on educational property when authorized by the school board of trustees or school administrative director, and to provide that a person who has a concealed handgun permit may carry certain weapons on educational property that is the location of both a school and a place of religious worship when the person is attending worship services and other sacerdotal functions at the place of religious worship as long as students are not attending class.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  Part 1 of Article 39 of Chapter 115C of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new section to read:
"§ 115C‑548.5.  School safety management.
(a)	Each private church school or school of religious charter, in coordination with local law enforcement and emergency management agencies, is encouraged to adopt a school risk management plan relating to incidents of school violence. Each private school is encouraged to provide schematic diagrams and keys to the main entrance of school facilities to local law enforcement agencies and may place school crisis kits in schools.
(b)	At least once a year, each private church school or school of religious charter is encouraged to hold a full school‑wide lockdown exercise with local law enforcement and emergency management agencies as part of the school risk management plan.
(c)	With the consent of the local sheriff, a school board of trustees or a school administrative director, as defined in G.S. 14‑269.2(a), of a private church school or school of religious charter may authorize a person who has a concealed handgun permit issued in accordance with Article 54B of this Chapter or considered valid under G.S. 14‑415.24 to possess and carry a handgun on the educational property that is owned, used, or operated by the private school pursuant to G.S. 14‑269.2(g). The private school is encouraged to coordinate with local law enforcement on the role and responsibilities in the school risk management plan of any person permitted to possess and carry a handgun on the educational property under this subsection."
SECTION 2.  Part 2 of Article 39 of Chapter 115C of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new section to read:
"§ 115C‑556.5.  School safety management.
(a)	Each qualified nonpublic school, in coordination with local law enforcement and emergency management agencies, is encouraged to adopt a school risk management plan relating to incidents of school violence. Each qualified nonpublic school is encouraged to provide schematic diagrams and keys to the main entrance of school facilities to local law enforcement agencies and may place school crisis kits in schools.
(b)	At least once a year, each qualified nonpublic school is encouraged to hold a full school‑wide lockdown exercise with local law enforcement and emergency management agencies as part of the school risk management plan.
(c)	With consent of the local sheriff, a school board of trustees or a school administrative director as defined in G.S. 14‑269.2(a) of a qualified nonpublic school may authorize a person who has a concealed handgun permit issued in accordance with Article 54B of this Chapter or considered valid under G.S. 14‑415.24 to possess and carry a handgun on the educational property that is owned, used, or operated by the private school pursuant to G.S. 14‑269.2(g). The private school is encouraged to coordinate with local law enforcement on the role and responsibilities in the school risk management plan of any person permitted to possess and carry a handgun on the educational property under this subsection."
SECTION 3.  G.S. 14‑269.2(a) is amended by adding the following new subdivisions to read:
"(1c)	School board of trustees. – The governing body of any private school. For purposes of parochial schools, the school board of trustees may be the board of deacons, the board of elders, or any other designated board which oversees the general affairs of the church, synagogue, temple, or other place of religious worship that is affiliated with the private school.
(1d)	School administrative director. – Any individual authorized by the school board of trustees to act on behalf of the private school."
SECTION 4.  G.S. 14‑269.2(g) is amended by adding the following new subdivisions to read:
"(8)	An employee or volunteer of a private school who meets all of the following criteria:
a.	The person has written authorization from (i) the school board of trustees or the school administrative director and (ii) the local sheriff to possess and carry a handgun on the educational property that is owned, used, or operated by the private school.
b.	The weapon is a handgun.
c.	The person has a concealed handgun permit issued in accordance with Article 54B of this Chapter or is considered valid under G.S. 14‑415.24.
d.	The person has successfully completed under the direct supervision of a certified National Rifle Association instructor or the equivalent a minimum of eight hours of courses on, or relating to, gun safety and the appropriate use of firearms that is in addition to the firearms training and safety course required for a concealed handgun permit under G.S. 14‑415.12(a)(4). This is an annual training requirement that shall be performed in consultation with the law enforcement agency having jurisdiction over the private school.
e.	The private school adopts and maintains written standard operating procedures regarding the possession and carrying of the weapons listed in this subdivision on the educational property and distributes to the parents of students attending the private school copies of the written standard operating procedures on an annual basis.
f.	The person is on the premises of the educational property that is owned, used, or operated by the private school at which the person is an employee or volunteer.
(9)	A person who has a concealed handgun permit issued in accordance with Article 54B of this Chapter or that is considered valid under G.S. 14‑415.24 and who is in a place of religious worship when students are not attending class that is located on educational property owned, used, or operated by the membership of the place of religious worship may possess and carry a handgun while the person is attending worship services, funeral services, wedding ceremonies, christenings, religious fellowships, and any other sacerdotal functions at the place of religious worship. For purposes of this subdivision, the term "place of religious worship" includes any church, chapel, meetinghouse, synagogue, temple, longhouse, mosque, or other building that is regularly used and clearly identifiable as a place for religious worship. For purposes of this subdivision, the term "attending" includes ingress and egress between the place of religious worship and the designated parking area for the place of religious worship."
SECTION 5.  This act becomes effective December 1, 2019.