Joint Budget Committee. The bill creates the office of school
safety (office) within the office of the executive director in the department of public safety. The office oversees the school safety resource center (center), which assists schools in preventing, preparing for, responding to, and recovering from emergencies and crisis situations by offering training and other supportive services. The director of the office is required to appoint the director of the center and appoint a grants manager to assist schools in obtaining funding related to school safety.
The bill also creates the crisis response unit within the office to
assist schools in responding to a crisis or emergency event.
Currently, the school access for emergency response grant program
(SAFER) is administered by the division of homeland security and emergency management in the department of public safety. The bill moves the administration of SAFER to the office.
