The mass school shooting in Parkland, Fla., has sparked calls for action by state lawmakers to keep guns and gun violence out of schools.

A number of school safety and gun safety measures have been introduced since that Feb. 14 tragedy that left 17 people dead. Several other bills related to those topics were already sitting in House and Senate committees, awaiting action, when the latest shooting occurred.

School safety will be the focus of a Senate Education Committee hearing on Friday, March 2, and a House Education Committee hearing on March 15.

(C.B. Schmelter/Chattanooga Times Free Press via AP)

Looking for answers

At those hearings, state lawmakers will be looking for ways to avoid scenes like the ones from Stoneman Douglas High School's mass shooting or this one (shown above) from Wednesday where students were evacuated from a Georgia high school after a teacher allegedly barricaded himself in a classroom and fired a handgun.

The Senate Education Committee's hearing on Friday will focus on testimony from education and law enforcement/security professionals about what they recommend be done, said Chairman John Eichelberger, R-Blair County.

Similarly, the House Education Committee hearing on March 15 is intended to take a holisitic look at school safety and the discussion will include bills referred to that committee, said its Chairman David Hickernell, R-Lancaster County.

The following are some of the ideas that lawmakers have already put forth on the topics of school safety and guns:

Don't Edit

repboback.com

School panic buttons and safety drills

Rep. Karen Boback, R-Luzerne County, has introduced House Bill 2057 that would require all schools to install a minimum of two panic buttons - one in the principal's office and another in the main administration office - that would be linked to local police and 911 center and used to alert law enforcement of a violent or life-threatening situation. It also would mandate schools conduct a safety drill within the first 90 days of the school year to prepare students and staff on how to respond in that type of situation.

Status: Sitting in House Education Committee since Feb. 5

Don't Edit

senatorhaywood.com

Anti-bullying, anti-violence policies

Sen. Art Haywood, D-Philadelphia, has introduced Senate Bill 872 that would establish procedures for schools to track reports of violence. It also would keep confidential the names of students who make the reports of such incidents and require schools to investigate them promptly. And it requires schools to provide training on issues related to violence and prevention of sexual violence.

Status: Sitting in Senate Education Committee since Jan. 17

A similar bill - House Bill 1754 - was offered in the House by Rep. Dan Miller, D-Allegheny County and it has been sitting in the House Education Committee since Jan. 5.

Don't Edit

Rep. Dan Miller's Facebook page

Mental health checkups

Rep. Dan Miller also has introduced House Bill 2095 that would require a brain health/mental health check-up, which at a minimum must include a depression screening, for each student in the commonwealth no later than age 14.

Status: Sitting in House Education Committee since Feb. 16

Sen. Guy Reschenthaler, R-Allegheny County, is proposing a similar bill in the Senate.

Don't Edit

File photo/PennLive.com

Extreme risk protective order

Rep. Todd Stephens, R-Montgomery County, is proposing to introduce legislation that would allow family members, loved ones and law enforcement to ask the court to temporarily remove firearms from an individual who is at risk of causing harm to themselves or others.

Status: Not yet introduced.

Several other Republican and Democratic senators and representatives are proposing or offering similar bills.

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

Mandatory bullying education

Rep. Stephen Kinsey, along with Rep. Donna Bullock, D-Philadelphia, have introduced House Bill 2009 that would require bullying education be taught in schools across all grade levels.

Status: Sitting in House Education Committee since Jan. 11

Don't Edit

Senator Don White's website

Arming school employees

Sen. Don White, R-Indiana County, has introduced Senate Bill 383 that would allow school districts to have policies permitting school employees to have access to firearms on school property provided they receive training and a psychological examination.

Status: Passed the Senate on June 28 by a 28-22 vote and has been sitting in the House Education Committee since June 29

Don't Edit

Rep. Brian Sims website

Sexual assault report cards

Rep. Brian Sims, D-Philadelphia, has introduced House Bill 1753 which would require K-12 schools as well as post-secondary institutions to annually provide information on incidences of sexual assault and domestic violence to the Department of Education, which would then publish that information on the department's website as part of a campus report card.

Status: Sitting in House Education Committee since Jan. 11

Don't Edit

Rep. Margo Davidson's website

Expansion of background checks for gun purchases

Rep. Margo Davidson, D-Philadelphia, is proposing legislation that would require existing and future mental health data to be transferred to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System that is used to screen prospective gun buyers.

Status: It has not yet been introduced.

Don't Edit

File photo/Dan Gleiter | dgleiter@pennlive.

Ban bump stocks

Sen. Pat Browne, R-Lehigh County, has introduced Senate Bill 696 to make it illegal in Pennsylvania to import, purchase, sell, manufacture, transfer or possess what are commonly referred to as "bump stocks." These are devices that can accelerate the firing power of semi-automatic firearms.

Status: Sitting in Senate Judiciary Committee since Dec. 1

Rep. Madeleine Dean, D-Montgomery County, introduced a similar measure , House Bill 1872, in the House and it has sat in the House Judiciary Committee since Oct. 23.

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

Sen. Wayne Fontana's website

Banning assault rifles

Sen. Wayne Fontana, D-Allegheny County, is proposing to introduce legislation that would ban assault rifles and the sale of gun magazines with a capacity of more than 10 rounds.

Status: It hasn't been introduced yet.

But Rep. Kevin Boyle, D-Philadelphia, has introduced House Bill 2112 that would ban large-capacity ammunition magazines. His bill was referred to the House Judiciary Committee on Monday.

Don't Edit

Sen. Thomas McGarrigle's website

Funding safe school initiatives

Sen. Thomas McGarrigle, R-Delaware County, intends to introduce legislation that would provide a recurring revenue stream from court filing fees to fund safety initiatives to combat school violence. He anticipates the revenue sources he proposes would generate $50 million a year for these safety efforts.

Status: Not introduced yet

Don't Edit

Keeping discussions about security measures private

Sens. Mike Regan, R-Cumberland County, and Robert Tomlinson, R-Bucks County, are proposing legislation that would expand the list of topics that government agencies can discuss in executive sessions to include security and safety matters.

Status: Not introduced yet

Don't Edit

Sen. Sharif Street's website

Mandating psychological examination to carry or buy a gun

Sen. Sharif Street, D-Philadelphia, is proposing to introduce legislation that would require psychological testing before an individual can receive a license to carry or buy a firearm and have a medical professional certify that the individual is capable of exercising appropriate judgment .

Status: Not introduced yet

Don't Edit

File photo/Dan Gleiter | dgleiter@pennlive.

Limiting use of schools as polling places

Sen. Mario Scavello, R-Monroe County, (at right in above photo) has introduced Senate Bill 1048 that would allow school buildings to be used as a last resort as polling places out of concern for student and staff safety.

Status: Sitting in Senate State Government Committee since Feb. 9

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

Sen. Christine Tartaglione's website

Lost or stolen firearm reporting

Sen. Christine Tartaglione, D-Philadelphia, is proposing to reintroduce legislation that would require gun owners to report lost or stolen firearms to local law enforcement authorities within 24 hours of noticing they have gone missing.

Status: Not yet introduced

Don't Edit

File photo/AP Photo/Keith Srakocic

Death penalty for murder on school grounds

Sen. Scott Wagner, R-York County, is proposing to introduce legislation that would automatically require the death penalty sentence for any individual found guilty of committing murder on a school or college campus as well as any accomplices.

Status: Not yet introduced

Don't Edit

Sen. Anthony Williams' website

Firearms registry

Sen. Anthony Williams, D-Philadelphia, is proposing to introduce legislation to require gun ownership accountability through registration of all firearms in the commonwealth.

Status: Not yet introduced

Don't Edit

Rep. Perry Warren's Facebook page

No-fly list gun prohibition

Rep. Perry Warren, D-Bucks County, has introduced House Bill 528 which would ban anyone currently on the federal terrorist watch list, which includes the no-fly list, from buying or possessing a firearm in Pennsylvania.

Status: Sitting in House Judiciary Committee since Feb. 17

Don't Edit

Excluding gun locks and gun safes from sales tax

Rep. Fred Keller, R-Snyder County, has introduced House Bill 718 that would waive the sales tax on gun locks and gun safes as a way to promote firearm safety and the proper storage of firearms.

Status: Sitting in House Appropriations Committee since May 22.

Don't Edit