Senate File 500 - Introduced SENATE FILE 500 BY COSTELLO A BILL FOR An Act relating to establishing the school security personnel 1 grant program within the department of homeland security and 2 emergency management and making appropriations. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 4 TLSB 2395XS (2) 91 jda/jh
S.F. 500 Section 1. Section 279.84, Code 2025, is amended by adding 1 the following new subsections: 2 NEW SUBSECTION . 4. The department of homeland security 3 and emergency management shall develop and administer a school 4 security personnel grant program to provide annual grants 5 to match moneys provided by a school district to allow the 6 school district to offset costs associated with employing, or 7 retaining the services of, a private school security officer or 8 school resource officer to guard an attendance center within 9 the school district. The amount of an annual grant provided by 10 the department of homeland security and emergency management to 11 a school district that has provided matching moneys pursuant to 12 this subsection shall not exceed thirty thousand dollars. 13 NEW SUBSECTION . 5. A school security personnel grant 14 program fund is established in the state treasury. The 15 fund shall be administered by the department of homeland 16 security and emergency management and shall consist of moneys 17 appropriated by the general assembly and other moneys received 18 by the department for deposit in the fund. The moneys in the 19 fund are appropriated to the department of homeland security 20 and emergency management for the school security personnel 21 grant program. Notwithstanding section 8.33, moneys in the 22 fund at the close of the fiscal year shall not revert to 23 the general fund of the state but shall remain available for 24 expenditure for the school security personnel grant program for 25 subsequent fiscal years. 26 Sec. 2. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY AND EMERGENCY 27 MANAGEMENT SCHOOL SECURITY PERSONNEL GRANT PROGRAM. There 28 is appropriated from the general fund of the state to the 29 department of homeland security and emergency management for 30 the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2025, and ending June 30, 31 2026, the following amount, or so much thereof as is necessary, 32 to be used for the purposes designated: 33 For deposit in the school security personnel grant program 34 fund established pursuant to section 279.84, subsection 5, if 35 -1- LSB 2395XS (2) 91 jda/jh 1/ 3
S.F. 500 enacted: 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 9,750,000 2 EXPLANATION 3 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 4 the explanations substance by the members of the general assembly. 5 This bill establishes the school security personnel grant 6 program within the department of homeland security and 7 emergency management. 8 Current law requires each school district with a total 9 enrollment of at least 8,000 students to employ, or retain the 10 services of, at least one private school security officer or 11 school resource officer to guard each attendance center where 12 students enrolled in grade 9, 10, 11, or 12 regularly attend 13 classes, unless a majority of the members of the board of 14 directors of the school district vote to not employ or retain a 15 private school security officer or a school resource officer. 16 Current law also encourages each school district with a total 17 enrollment of less than 8,000 students to employ, or retain the 18 services of, at least one private school security officer or 19 school resource officer to guard each attendance center where 20 students enrolled in grade 9, 10, 11, or 12 regularly attend 21 classes. 22 The bill requires the department of homeland security 23 and emergency management to develop and administer a school 24 security personnel grant program to provide annual grants 25 to match moneys provided by school districts to allow the 26 school districts to offset costs associated with employing, or 27 retaining the services of, a private school security officer 28 or school resource officer to guard an attendance center 29 within the school district. The amount of an annual grant 30 provided by the department of homeland security and emergency 31 management to a school district that has provided matching 32 moneys shall not exceed $30,000. The bill establishes a school 33 security personnel grant program fund in the state treasury 34 and appropriates $9,750,000 from the general fund of the state 35 -2- LSB 2395XS (2) 91 jda/jh 2/ 3
S.F. 500 to the school security personnel grant program fund for FY 1 2025-2026. 2 -3- LSB 2395XS (2) 91 jda/jh 3/ 3