Require Key Boxes at Schools
SB104 requires Colorado schools to install exterior key boxes, commonly known as Knox boxes or similar emergency access boxes, by July 1, 2030. The bill applies to public schools serving kindergarten through 12th grade, including district charter schools, institute charter schools, and nonpublic schools, but not home schools. Each local education provider must place at least one UL 1037-compliant key box at each school, in a location chosen in consultation with local law enforcement so officers can access every building and room on the campus during an emergency.
The key box must contain keys or other access devices for all buildings and rooms on the school grounds, along with detailed maps showing interior access points, critical utilities, AEDs, trauma kits, and surrounding areas such as parking lots, athletic fields, roads, and nearby properties. The bill also requires local education providers to give local law enforcement the key or access code to the box. Schools that already have an equivalent key box or an alternative emergency access plan are exempt, and the requirement may be satisfied through funding from the state school security disbursement program. Schools that apply for but do not receive that funding are also exempt from the installation mandate.
The bill adds a new section to the Colorado education code requiring emergency access key boxes at schools and amends the Colorado Open Records Act to make the contents of those boxes and related information exempt from public disclosure. It also provides civil liability immunity for school or district employees involved in installing or using the boxes, unless they act with gross negligence or bad faith. In practical terms, the measure creates a statewide school security standard affecting school districts, charter schools, nonpublic schools, and local law enforcement agencies, while allowing existing systems or alternative emergency access procedures to satisfy the requirement.
The bill appears to have broad support overall, especially around the goal of improving emergency response at schools. It passed the Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously and advanced through the Senate 31-2, indicating strong bipartisan backing in the upper chamber. In the House, it also moved out of Judiciary unanimously, though the final House third reading vote was narrower at 39-19, suggesting more mixed views on the floor.
The main points of contention likely concern cost, implementation burden, and whether a statewide mandate is necessary when some schools already have emergency access systems. The bill addresses those concerns by allowing exemptions for schools with existing compliant key boxes or alternative emergency access plans, and by tying installation to the school security disbursement program. Another potential issue is privacy and security: because the boxes contain detailed maps and access information, the bill explicitly exempts that material from public records laws. Supporters appear focused on law enforcement access and school safety, while any opposition likely centers on expense, local flexibility, and the risk of creating sensitive security information.