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SENATE DOCKET, NO. 482 FILED ON: 1/16/2023
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 323
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Patrick M. O'Connor
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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:
The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
An Act creating a school resource officer grant program and fund.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :Patrick M. O'ConnorFirst Plymouth and Norfolk 1 of 2
SENATE DOCKET, NO. 482 FILED ON: 1/16/2023
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 323
By Mr. O'Connor, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 323) of Patrick M. O'Connor for
legislation to create a school resource officer grant program and fund. Education.
[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE SENATE, NO. 373 OF 2021-2022.]
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)
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An Act creating a school resource officer grant program and fund.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1 Chapter 69 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2014 Official Edition, is hereby
2amended by inserting the following section: -
3 Section 37. School Resource Officer Grant Program
4 (a) From the funds appropriated for such purpose and from the gifts, donations, grants,
5bequests, and other funds received on its behalf, there is established (1) the School Resource
6Officer Grant Program, to be administered by the board, in consultation with the Board of
7Education, and (2) a special nonreverting fund within the state treasury known as the School
8Resource Officer Incentive Grant Program, hereinafter known as the fund. Any monies
9remaining in the fund at the end of the legislative session shall not revert to the General Fund, 2 of 2
10but shall remain in the fund. Interest earned on such funds shall remain in the fund and be
11credited to it.
12 Subject to the authority of the board to provide for its disbursement, the fund shall be
13disbursed to award matching grants to local law enforcement agencies and local school boards
14that have established a collaborative agreement to employ uniformed school resource officers, as
15defined in subsection (b) of this section 37, in middle and high schools within the relevant school
16division. The board may disburse annually up to five percent of the fund for training of the
17school resource officers. School resource officers shall be certified law enforcement officers and
18shall be employed to help ensure safety, to prevent truancy and violence in schools, and to
19enforce school board rules and codes of student conduct.
20 (b) The board, in consultation with the commissioner and the Department on Public
21Safety, shall establish criteria for making grants from the fund, including procedures for
22determining the amount of a grant and the required local match. Any grant or general funds shall
23be matched by the locality on the basis of the locality’s ability to pay. The board may adopt
24guidelines governing the program and the employment and duties of the school resource officers
25as it deems necessary and appropriate.