Texas Legislature Passes Uvalde Strong Act

The Texas Legislature unanimously passed the 'Uvalde Strong Act' (House Bill 33), aimed at improving law enforcement preparedness and response to mass shootings, especially in schools, after the 2022 Robb Elementary tragedy that claimed 21 lives. The legislation requires annual planning and training between school districts and law enforcement, mandates yearly mass shooting exercises, and compels agencies to establish clear coordination agreements for emergencies. It allows officers to override incident commanders if responses are inadequate and requires agencies to submit preliminary incident reports within 60 days. Schools must also be equipped with breaching tools and ballistic shields. Authored by former Uvalde mayor Rep. Don McLaughlin, the bill addresses critical police response failures, though critics argue it may not go far enough. The measure now awaits Governor Greg Abbott’s signature.