Bill > S86

Introduced Session

This bill directs every public school in this State to station at least one law enforcement officer or Class Three special law enforcement officer in the school during school hours and authorizes schools to apply for a grant from the Safe Neighborhoods Services Fund. Under current law, a board of education has the discretion to appoint Class Three special law enforcement officers to provide security at a public or nonpublic school on the school premises during hours when the school is normally in session or when it is occupied by students or their teachers. These officers are permitted to carry a firearm in the performance of the officers' duties. The bill directs the board of education of every school district to station at least one law enforcement officer or Class Three special law enforcement officer, appointed pursuant to the provisions of P.L.1985, c.439 (C.40A:14-146.8 et seq.), in the school during the hours when the schools are normally in session or are occupied by students or their teachers. The provisions of the bill prohibit a law enforcement officer or Class Three special law enforcement officer from being employed unless that officer first completes the safe schools resource officer training course developed by the Police Training Commission. The bill further provides that a board of education of a school district may apply for a grant from the Safe Neighborhoods Services Fund for the purposes of funding the costs associated with appointing, training, and compensating the law enforcement officers and Class Three special law enforcement officers employed pursuant to this section.

Committee Categories

Christopher Bateman (R)*,  Kristin Corrado (R), 

Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Law and Public Safety Committee (on 01/14/2020)