This bill proposes to establish a "school safety center" within the Department of Education, which will take over responsibilities previously held by the Department regarding school safety programs. The new center will be tasked with administering the school safety program, reviewing grant applications, monitoring compliance, and providing technical assistance to school districts and charter schools. It will also compile a list of approved safety assessment providers and conduct safety assessments every three years. The bill includes several new responsibilities for the center, such as providing statewide training for school safety personnel and conducting research and evaluations of school safety initiatives.

In terms of changes to current law, the bill deletes references to the "Department of Education" and replaces them with "school safety center" throughout the relevant statutes. It also introduces new provisions that outline the specific functions and responsibilities of the school safety center, including the development of emergency response plans and guidelines for threat prevention and campus security. Additionally, the bill clarifies that appropriations for the school safety program are exempt from lapsing provisions and allows the center to allocate a portion of the funds for administrative costs.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 15-154, 15-154.02, 15-155, 15-249.20, 41-2534, 35-190, 15-341, 15-183