Three years after a gunman killed 19 students and two teachers at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, the Texas Senate has approved a bill designed to overhaul how first responders handle active shooter situations. House Bill 33, written by former Uvalde mayor and current Representative Don McLaughlin (R) and sponsored in the Senate by Senator Pete Flores (R), aims to address the chaotic law enforcement response that followed the tragedy.
The bill seeks to improve cooperation between agencies and ensure clear chains of command during school shootings.
“This bill makes notable efforts to ensure that Texas schools are a safe place to send our children,” said Flores.
It was a direct response to the breakdown of leadership and coordination in Uvalde, where 77 minutes passed before police confronted the shooter, a delay that prompted a federal investigation. According to the FBI, the average response time for active shooter incidents is about three minutes. Yet in Uvalde, nearly 400 officers from various local, county, and state agencies arrived on scene, and no one took command.
“It was in all of that failure, from law enforcement at every level that led to the continued loss of life,” said Senator Roland Gutierrez (D), who represents Uvalde.
Building on reforms passed last session, which required all peace officers in Texas to undergo active shooter training at the ALERRT Center at Texas State University, HB 33 goes further by mandating annual interagency meetings. These gatherings will bring together schools, local law enforcement, emergency medical services, and others involved in crisis response to create multi-hazard emergency plans.
The bill would also require police departments, including municipal, county, and campus forces, to implement standardized response strategies.
“It’s done in the military, it’s done in emergency management, and it needs to continue to be done when we’re working in response to these active shooting events,” said Sen. Flores.
At the state level, the Texas Department of Public Safety would be tasked with identifying resources in every county with a public school and entering mutual aid agreements with sheriffs. The bill also charges the ALERRT Center with developing standardized after-action reporting protocols to help agencies evaluate their response and make necessary improvements.
Sen. Gutierrez, who has pushed for more sweeping changes over the past two sessions, said the legislation addresses many of the systemic failures seen during the Robb Elementary shooting.
“It’s my hope that through this piece of legislation that it’ll be one step closer to making sure that this never happens again,” he said.
Passed in both the Texas Senate and House, HB 33 now heads to Governor Greg Abbott’s (R) desk for his signature.
