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General Assembly Raised Bill No. 7356
January Session, 2019
LCO No. 5961
Referred to Committee on EDUCATION
Introduced by:
(ED)
AN ACT CONCERNING SC HOOL SECURITY.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 84 of public act 13-3, as amended by section 15 of 1
public act 13-122, section 191 of public act 13-247, section 73 of public 2
act 14-98, section 1 of public act 15-5, section 1 of public act 16-171, 3
section 1 of public act 17-68 and section 490 of public act 17-2 of the 4
June special session, is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu 5
thereof (Effective July 1, 2019): 6
(a) The Departments of Emergency Services and Public Protection, 7
Administrative Services and Education shall jointly administer a 8
school security infrastructure competitive grant program to reimburse 9
a (1) town, (2) regional educational service center, (3) the governing 10
authority for a state charter school, (4) the Department of Education on 11
behalf of the technical high school system, (5) an incorporated or 12
endowed high school or academy approved by the State Board of 13
Education pursuant to section 10-34 of the general statutes, [and] (6) 14
the supervisory agent for a nonpublic school, [including] and (7) a 15
licensed child care center or preschool that has received threats, for 16 Raised Bill No. 7356
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certain expenses for schools incurred on or after January 1, 2013, for: 17
[(1)] (A) The development or improvement of the security 18
infrastructure of schools, centers or preschools based on the results of 19
school, building or child care center building security assessments 20
pursuant to subsection (d) of this section, including, but not limited to, 21
the installation of surveillance cameras, penetration resistant 22
vestibules, ballistic glass, solid core doors, doors that can be locked 23
from inside the classroom, double door access, computer-controlled 24
electronic locks, entry door buzzer systems, scan card systems, panic 25
alarms, real time interoperable communications and multimedia 26
sharing infrastructure or other systems; and [(2) (A)] (B) (i) the training 27
of school personnel in the operation and maintenance of the security 28
infrastructure of school buildings, [or (B)] (ii) the purchase of portable 29
entrance security devices, including, but not limited to, metal detector 30
wands and screening machines and related training, or (iii) the 31
employment of persons to provide security services in a school 32
building pursuant to section 10-244a of the general statutes. 33
(b) (1) On and after April 4, 2013, each local and regional board of 34
education may, on behalf of its town or its member towns, apply, at 35
such time and in such manner as the Commissioner of Emergency 36
Services and Public Protection prescribes, to the Department of 37
Emergency Services and Public Protection for a grant for certain 38
expenses for schools under the jurisdiction of such board of education 39
incurred on or after January 1, 2013, for the purposes described in 40
subsection (a) of this section. Prior to the date that the School Safety 41
Infrastructure Council makes its initial submission of the school safety 42
infrastructure standards, pursuant to subsection (c) of section 10-292r 43
of the general statutes, the Commissioner of Emergency Services and 44
Public Protection, in consultation with the Commissioners of 45
Administrative Services and Education, shall determine which 46
expenses are eligible for reimbursement under the program. On and 47
after the date that the School Safety Infrastructure Council submits the 48
school safety infrastructure standards, the decision to approve or deny 49
an application and the determination of which expenses are eligible for 50 Raised Bill No. 7356
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reimbursement under the program shall be in accordance with the 51
most recent submission of the school safety infrastructure standards, 52
pursuant to subsection (c) of section 10-292r of the general statutes. 53
(2) A regional educational service center may apply, at such time 54
and in such manner as the Commissioner of Emergency Services and 55
Public Protection prescribes, to the Department of Emergency Services 56
and Public Protection for a grant for certain expenses for schools under 57
the jurisdiction of such regional educational service center incurred on 58
or after January 1, 2013, for the purposes described in subsection (a) of 59
this section. The department shall decide whether to approve or deny 60
an application and which expenses are eligible for reimbursement 61
under the program. Such decisions shall be in accordance with the 62
school safety infrastructure standards developed pursuant to 63
subsection (c) of section 10-292r of the general statutes. 64
(3) The governing authority for a state charter school may apply, at 65
such time and in such manner as the Commissioner of Emergency 66
Services and Public Protection prescribes, to the Department of 67
Emergency Services and Public Protection for a grant for certain 68
expenses for schools under the jurisdiction of such governing authority 69
incurred on or after January 1, 2013, for the purposes described in 70
subsection (a) of this section. The department shall decide whether to 71
approve or deny an application and which expenses are eligible for 72
reimbursement under the program. Such decisions shall be in 73
accordance with the school safety infrastructure standards developed 74
pursuant to subsection (c) of section 10-292r of the general statutes. 75
(4) The superintendent of the technical high school system may 76
apply, at such time and in such manner as the Commissioner of 77
Emergency Services and Public Protection prescribes, to the 78
Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection for a grant 79
for certain expenses for schools in the technical high school system 80
incurred on or after January 1, 2013, for the purposes described in 81
subsection (a) of this section. The department shall decide whether to 82
approve or deny an application and which expenses are eligible for 83 Raised Bill No. 7356
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reimbursement under the program. Such decisions shall be in 84
accordance with the school safety infrastructure standards developed 85
pursuant to subsection (c) of section 10-292r of the general statutes. 86
(5) An incorporated or endowed high school or academy may 87
apply, at such time and in such manner as the Commissioner of 88
Emergency Services and Public Protection prescribes, to the 89
Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection for a grant 90
for certain expenses incurred on or after January 1, 2013, for the 91
purposes described in subsection (a) of this section. The department 92
shall decide whether to approve or deny an application and which 93
expenses are eligible for reimbursement under the program. Such 94
decisions shall be in accordance with the school safety infrastructure 95
standards developed pursuant to subsection (c) of section 10-292r of 96
the general statutes. 97
(6) (A) The supervisory agent for a nonpublic school may apply, at 98
such time and in such manner as the Commissioner of Emergency 99
Services and Public Protection prescribes, to the Department of 100
Emergency Services and Public Protection for a grant for certain 101
expenses for schools under the jurisdiction of such supervisory agent 102
incurred on or after January 1, 2013, for the purposes described in 103
subsection (a) of this section. The department shall decide whether to 104
approve or deny an application and which expenses are eligible for 105
reimbursement under the program. Such decisions shall be in 106
accordance with the school safety infrastructure standards developed 107
pursuant to subsection (c) of section 10-292r of the general statutes. 108
(B) Ten per cent of the funds available under the program shall be 109
awarded to the supervisory agents of nonpublic schools, in accordance 110
with the provisions of subdivision (6) of subsection (c) of this section. 111
(c) (1) A town may receive a grant equal to a percentage of its 112
eligible expenses. The percentage shall be determined as follows: (A) 113
Each town shall be ranked in descending order from one to one 114
hundred sixty-nine according to town wealth, as defined in 115 Raised Bill No. 7356
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subdivision (26) of section 10-262f of the general statutes, (B) based 116
upon such ranking, a percentage of not less than twenty or more than 117
eighty shall be assigned to each town on a continuous scale, and (C) 118
the town ranked first shall be assigned a percentage of twenty and the 119
town ranked last shall be assigned a percentage of eighty. 120
(2) A regional educational service center may receive a grant equal 121
to a percentage of its eligible expenses. The percentage shall be 122
determined by its ranking. Such ranking shall be determined by (A) 123
multiplying the population of each member town in the regional 124
educational service center by such town's ranking, as determined in 125
subsection (a) of section 10-285a of the general statutes; (B) adding 126
together the figures for each town determined under subparagraph (A) 127
of this subdivision; and (C) dividing the total computed under 128
subparagraph (B) of this subdivision by the total population of all 129
member towns in the regional educational service center. The ranking 130
of each regional educational service center shall be rounded to the next 131
higher whole number and each such center shall receive the same 132
reimbursement percentage as would a town with the same rank. 133
(3) The governing authority for a state charter school may receive a 134
grant equal to a percentage of its eligible expenses that is the same as 135
the town in which such state charter school is located, as calculated 136
pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection. 137
(4) The Department of Education, on behalf of the technical high 138
school system, may receive a grant equal to one hundred per cent of its 139
eligible expenses. 140
(5) An incorporated or endowed high school or academy may 141
receive a grant equal to a percentage of its eligible expenses. The 142
percentage shall be determined by its ranking. Such ranking shall be 143
determined by (A) multiplying the total population, as defined in 144
section 10-261 of the general statutes, of each town which at the time of 145
application for such school security infrastructure competitive grant 146
has designated such school as the high school for such town for a 147 Raised Bill No. 7356
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period of not less than five years from the date of such application, by 148
such town's percentile ranking, as determined in subsection (a) of 149
section 10-285a of the general statutes, (B) adding together the figures 150
for each town determined under subparagraph (A) of this subdivision, 151
and (C) dividing the total computed under subparagraph (B) of this 152
subdivision by the total population of all towns which designate the 153
school as their high school under subparagraph (A) of this subdivision. 154
The ranking determined pursuant to this subsection shall be rounded 155
to the next higher whole number. Such incorporated or endowed high 156
school or academy shall receive the reimbursement percentage of a 157
town with the same rank. 158
(6) The supervisory agent for a nonpublic school may receive a 159
grant equal to fifty per cent of its eligible expenses. 160
(d) (1) For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2014, if there are not 161
sufficient funds to provide grants to all towns, based on the percentage 162
determined pursuant to subsection (c) of this section, the 163
Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection, in 164
consultation with the Commissioners of Administrative Services and 165
Education, shall give priority to applicants on behalf of schools with 166
the greatest need for security infrastructure, as determined by said 167
commissioners based on school building security assessments of the 168
schools under the jurisdiction of the town's school district conducted 169
pursuant to this subdivision. Of the applicants on behalf of such 170
schools with the greatest need for security infrastructure, said 171
commissioners shall give first priority to applicants on behalf of 172
schools that have no security infrastructure at the time of such school 173
building security assessment and succeeding priority to applicants on 174
behalf of schools located in priority school districts pursuant to section 175
10-266p of the general statutes. To be eligible for reimbursement 176
pursuant to this section, an applicant board of education shall (A) 177
demonstrate that it has developed and periodically practices an 178
emergency plan at the schools under its jurisdiction and that such plan 179
has been developed in concert with applicable state or local first-180
responders, and (B) provide for a uniform assessment of the schools 181 Raised Bill No. 7356
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under its jurisdiction, including any security infrastructure, using the 182
National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities' Safe Schools 183
Facilities Checklist. The assessment shall be conducted under the 184
supervision of the local law enforcement agency. 185
(2) For the fiscal years ending June 30, 2015, to June 30, [2018] 2019, 186
inclusive, if there are not sufficient funds to provide grants to all 187
applicants that are towns, regional educational service centers, 188
governing authorities for state charter schools, the Department of 189
Education, on behalf of the technical high school system, and 190
incorporated or endowed high schools or academies based on the 191
percentage determined pursuant to subsection (c) of this section, the 192
Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection, in 193
consultation with the Commissioners of Administrative Services and 194
Education, shall give priority to applicants on behalf of schools with 195
the greatest need for security infrastructure, as determined by said 196
commissioners based on school building security assessments of the 197
schools under the jurisdiction of the applicant conducted pursuant to 198
this subdivision. Of the applicants on behalf of such schools with the 199
greatest need for security infrastructure, said commissioners shall give 200
first priority to applicants on behalf of schools that have no security 201
infrastructure at the time of such school building security assessment 202
and succeeding priority to applicants on behalf of schools located in 203
priority school districts pursuant to section 10-266p of the general 204
statutes. To be eligible for reimbursement pursuant to this section, an 205
applicant shall (A) demonstrate that it has developed and periodically 206
practices an emergency plan at the schools under its jurisdiction and 207
that such plan has been developed in concert with applicable state or 208
local first-responders, and (B) provide for a uniform assessment of the 209
schools under its jurisdiction, including any security infrastructure, 210
using the National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities' Safe 211
Schools Facilities Checklist. The assessment shall be conducted under 212
the supervision of the local law enforcement agency. 213
(3) For the fiscal years ending June 30, 2015, to June 30, [2018] 2019, 214
inclusive, if there are not sufficient funds to provide grants to all 215 Raised Bill No. 7356
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applicant supervisory agents for nonpublic schools, based on the 216
percentages described in subsection (c) of this section, the 217
Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection, in 218
consultation with the Commissioners of Administrative Services and 219
Education, shall give priority to applicants on behalf of schools with 220
the greatest need for security infrastructure, as determined by said 221
commissioners. Of the applicants on behalf of such schools with the 222
greatest need for security infrastructure, said commissioners shall give 223
first priority to applicants on behalf of schools that have no security 224
infrastructure at the time of application. To be eligible for 225
reimbursement pursuant to this section, an applicant supervisory 226
agent for a nonpublic school shall (A) demonstrate that it has 227
developed and periodically practices an emergency plan at the school 228
under its jurisdiction and that such plan has been developed in concert 229
with applicable state or local first-responders, and (B) provide for a 230
uniform assessment of the schools under its jurisdiction, including any 231
security infrastructure, using the National Clearinghouse for 232
Educational Facilities' Safe Schools Facilities Checklist. The assessment 233
shall be conducted under the supervision of the local law enforcement 234
agency. 235
(4) Except as provided in subdivisions (1) to (3), inclusive, of this 236
subsection, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2019, if an applicant 237
described in subdivisions (1) to (7), inclusive, of subsection (a) of this 238
section was unable to receive a grant for an application submitted 239
during the fiscal year ending June 30, 2018, because of insufficient 240
funds to provide grants to all applicants, such applicant may resubmit 241
the same application for a grant during the fiscal year ending June 30, 242
2019. The Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection 243
shall accept and give priority to all such resubmitted applications 244
during the fiscal year ending June 30, 2019. 245
Sec. 2. (Effective from passage) (a) There is established a task force to 246
study issues concerning the employment of school security officers 247
who are in possession of a firearm while on duty in public elementary, 248
middle and high schools. Such study shall include, but not be limited 249 Raised Bill No. 7356
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to, an analysis of (1) whether school security officers should be 250
authorized to carry a firearm while on duty in a public school, (2) who 251
should be responsible for conducting criminal history records checks 252
of school security officers, and (3) who should be responsible for 253
supervising school security officers. For purposes of this section, 254
"school security officer" means a person who is employed by or has 255
entered into an agreement, as described in subdivision (2) of 256
subsection (b) of section 53a-217b of the general statutes, with a local 257
or regional board of education to provide school security services, and 258
who is not a school resource officer, as defined in section 10-233m of 259
the general statutes. 260
(b) The task force shall consist of the following members: 261
(1) One appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives, 262
who is a representative of the Connecticut Education Association; 263
(2) One appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate, who 264
is a representative of the American Federation of Teachers -265
Connecticut; 266
(3) One appointed by the majority leader of the House of 267
Representatives, who is a school resource officer; 268
(4) One appointed by the majority leader of the Senate, who is a 269
representative of the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education; 270
(5) One appointed by the minority leader of the House of 271
Representatives, who is the chief of police of a municipality; 272
(6) One appointed by the minority leader of the Senate, who is a 273
school security officer; 274
(7) The Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection, 275
or the commissioner's designee; and 276
(8) The Commissioner of Education, or the commissioner's designee. 277 Raised Bill No. 7356
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(c) All appointments to the task force shall be made not later than 278
thirty days after the effective date of this section. Any vacancy shall be 279
filled by the appointing authority. 280
(d) The speaker of the House of Representatives and the president 281
pro tempore of the Senate shall select the chairpersons of the task force 282
from among the members of the task force. Such chairpersons shall 283
schedule the first meeting of the task force, which shall be held not 284
later than sixty days after the effective date of this section. 285
(e) Not later than January 1, 2020, the task force shall submit a 286
report on its findings and recommendations to the joint standing 287
committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters 288
relating to education, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-289
4a of the general statutes. The task force shall terminate on the date 290
that it submits such report or January 1, 2020, whichever is later. 291
Sec. 3. Subsection (b) of section 10-292r of the general statutes is 292
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 293
1, 2019): 294
(b) The School Safety Infrastructure Council shall develop school 295
safety infrastructure criteria for school building projects awarded 296
grants pursuant to this chapter and the school security infrastructure 297
competitive grant program, pursuant to section 84 of public act 13-3. 298
Such school safety infrastructure criteria shall conform to industry 299
standards for school building safety infrastructure and shall address 300
areas including, but not be limited to, (1) entryways to school 301
buildings and classrooms, such as, reinforcement of entryways, 302
ballistic glass, solid core doors, doors that can be locked from inside 303
the classroom, double door access, computer-controlled electronic 304
locks, remote locks on all entrance and exits and buzzer systems, (2) 305
the use of cameras throughout the school building and at all entrances 306
and exits, including the use of closed-circuit television monitoring, (3) 307
penetration resistant vestibules, and (4) other security infrastructure 308
improvements and devices as they become industry standards. The 309 Raised Bill No. 7356
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council shall meet at least annually to review and update, if necessary, 310
the school safety infrastructure criteria and make such criteria 311
available to local and regional boards of education. 312
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 July 1, 2019 PA 13-3, Sec. 84
Sec. 2 from passage New section
Sec. 3 July 1, 2019 10-292r(b)
Statement of Purpose:
To allow school districts to use school security infrastructure
competitive grant program funds to hire school security officers, to
establish a task force to study issues concerning the authorization of
school security officers to carry a firearm while on duty, and to revise
the school safety infrastructure criteria for school building projects to
include doors that can be locked from inside the classroom.
[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline,
except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is
not underlined.]