In 2018, the general assembly enacted Senate Bill 18-269, which
created the school security disbursement program (program) to provide funding for school districts, charter schools, institute charter schools, and
boards of cooperative services (local education providers) to implement school security improvements to prevent incidents of school violence. Pursuant to the provisions of Senate Bill 18-269, the program was repealed on July 1, 2021. The bill recreates and reenacts the program in the department of public safety (department).
The bill allows a local education provider to apply for a
disbursement by submitting an application to the department. A local education provider that receives a disbursement may use the money for one or more of the following purposes:
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Capital construction that improves the security of a public school facility or public school vehicle;
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Training in student threat assessment for school staff;
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Training for on-site school resource officers;
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School emergency response training for school staff; and
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Programs to help students become more resilient in meeting the daily challenges they face without resorting to violence.
The department is required to review the applications received
from local education providers and to disburse money to applicants that satisfy the application requirements. The department is required to give priority to applicants that commit to providing matching funds for the amount of the disbursement received.
The bill recreates and reenacts the school security disbursement
program account within the school safety resource center cash fund and directs the transfer of money to the account to pay the disbursements. Each disbursement recipient is required to report to the department concerning its use of the money, and the department is required to annually provide a summary of the reports to specified committees of the general assembly. The disbursement program is repealed, effective July 1, 2032.
