AUSTIN, Texas — Editor's note: The attached video is from State Sen. Gutierrez's Jan. 24 press conference.
On Tuesday, State Sen. Roland Gutierrez will announce additional legislation filed in response to the tragic shooting at Robb Elementary School last May.
In a news release sent out Tuesday morning, Gutierrez's office said the bills aim to prevent mass shootings. The bills aim to increase school safety, improve emergency response protocols between state and local public safety utilities, fix radio interoperability in rural counties and create a monument to mass shooting victims in the Texas State Cemetery.
In addition, Gutierrez – who represents Uvalde – will make an appropriations request to provide funding for safety measures in schools and mental health care.
The is the second release of several expected packages of bills related to the Uvalde school shooting.
State Sen. Roland Gutierrez started the presser Tuesday by sharing he wants the Texas Department of Public Safety to create robust mass shooting response training for all public safety entities after the chaotic response to the Uvalde school massacre, and delayed medical treatment of victims.
Gutierrez unveiled two bills and one resolution.
Senate Bill 738 calls for ensuring all public safety entities in certain counties have the radio infrastructure for communication between all public safety entities, including between different kinds of agencies. The bill would also create a process to train public safety entities in responding to mass shootings, that would be required to include protection of students at a school; emergency medical response training in minimizing casualties; tactics for denying an intruder entry into a school or classroom; and the chain of command.
Senate Bill 737, to create the new police unit called the Texas School Patrol, would require 10,000 additional officers in the state within the Texas Highway Patrol. Gutierrez said it would cost about $750 million. The Texas School Patrol would be tasked with having at least one officer present at each public school and higher education facility. It would be expected to coordinate with local police officials about emergency responses to mass shooting events.
The Resolution is a memorial resolution that would remove the Confederate Soldiers Monument currently on the south grounds of the Capitol to the Austin State Cemetery. According to a copy of the resolution shared by the senator, the new monument would be funded by private donations.
On Jan. 24 – eight months to the day since the shooting that resulted in the deaths of 19 children and two teachers – Gutierrez announced several filed bills and resolutions aimed at increasing accountability.
One bill would allow anyone injured in the Robb Elementary shooting to sue the State of Texas and any of its agencies. Another would end qualified immunity for peace officers, which would allow individuals harmed by officers' actions to hold them liable for damages.
A third resolution would urge the U.S. Congress to repeal a law that shields gun manufacturers and distributors from liability. Another bill would create a permanent compensation fund for victims of school violence.
At the Jan. 24 press conference, Gutierrez was joined by the families of several Robb Elementary victims, as well as families of victims of 2018's mass shooting at Santa Fe High School in Santa Fe, Texas. Gutierrez said that he would hold similar press conferences regularly as it is a "process" as lawmakers "carve out pieces of legislation."
Tuesday's press conference will be held at 2:30 p.m. at the Texas State Capitol. Gutierrez will again be joined by Uvalde families.
The press conference will be livestreamed on the Texas Senate video page.