Bill > H335

This bill establishes a dedicated "school resource officer training fund" within the Commonwealth, which will receive money from various sources, including legislative appropriations and federal grants. This fund will be managed by the Secretary of Education in collaboration with the Secretary of Public Safety and Security and the Municipal Police Training Committee, and any unspent money will carry over to the next fiscal year. The bill allows municipalities, school districts, and law enforcement agencies to apply for grants from this fund to pay for training for school resource officers (SROs), police chiefs, supervisors, and other school administrators. This training can be conducted through approved programs like the Massachusetts Police Training Committee or the National Association of School Resource Officers, and will cover crucial topics such as understanding school environments, SRO roles, child development, mental health, de-escalation techniques, juvenile justice, and community resources. Furthermore, the Department of Education and the Municipal Police Training Committee will create a certification for SROs who complete at least 40 hours of this specialized training, and training for administrators and police leadership will focus on integrating SROs effectively, developing operational procedures, and managing SRO programs.