Senate Bill 41 establishes a competitive grant program administered by the Office of School Safety in the Department of Justice, aimed at enhancing the safety of school buildings and providing security training for school personnel. The program is open to public, private, and tribal schools, with a total appropriation of $30,000,000 allocated for these grants. The maximum grant amount that can be awarded to any applicant is set at $20,000, and preference will be given to applicants who have not previously received a school safety grant from the Department of Justice. Additionally, the Office of School Safety is required to submit annual reports to the Joint Committee on Finance regarding the grants awarded.

The bill includes a repeal of the existing statute 20.455 (2) (fc) and creates a new version of the same statute to facilitate the grant program. The program is set to sunset on June 30, 2027, with no grants to be awarded after that date. The repeal of the previous statute will take effect on July 1, 2027, ensuring a smooth transition to the new grant program structure.