Bill > HB676

This bill prohibits the Department of Criminal Justice Services from establishing minimum qualifications for the employment of school resource officers (SROs), such as age or experience requirements. Specifically, the bill amends an existing section of Virginia law that outlines the powers and duties of the Department of Criminal Justice Services by adding language that explicitly prevents the department from creating, providing guidance for, or adopting regulations about minimum employment qualifications for SROs unless expressly authorized by law. The bill does not remove the department's existing requirement to establish compulsory minimum training standards for SROs, which include specific topics like relevant laws, de-escalation techniques, cultural awareness, working with students with disabilities, and understanding student behavioral dynamics. This change appears to give local jurisdictions more flexibility in hiring school resource officers by removing potential statewide employment barriers while maintaining standardized training requirements to ensure SROs are properly prepared for their unique role in schools.

Education

https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?251+sum+HB676