| 1 | 1 | | |
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| 2 | 2 | | <BillNo> <Sponsor> |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | SENATE BILL 1215 |
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| 5 | 5 | | By Oliver |
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| 6 | 6 | | |
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| 7 | 7 | | |
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| 8 | 8 | | SB1215 |
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| 9 | 9 | | 003202 |
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| 10 | 10 | | - 1 - |
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| 11 | 11 | | |
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| 12 | 12 | | AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 9 and |
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| 13 | 13 | | Title 49, relative to school safety grants. |
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| 14 | 14 | | |
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| 15 | 15 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE: |
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| 16 | 16 | | SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, Chapter 3, is amended by adding |
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| 17 | 17 | | the following as a new part: |
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| 18 | 18 | | 49-3-601. |
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| 19 | 19 | | (a) There is created within the state general fund a special account to be known |
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| 20 | 20 | | as the school safety grant fund. The purpose of the fund is to support local education |
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| 21 | 21 | | agencies (LEAs) and public charter schools with prevention, reduction, and response |
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| 22 | 22 | | efforts with regard to school shootings. |
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| 23 | 23 | | (b) The department of education shall administer the fund. |
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| 24 | 24 | | (c) The fund is composed of money appropriated by the general assembly for |
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| 25 | 25 | | the fund, and gifts, grants, and other donations received by the department for the fund. |
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| 26 | 26 | | (d) Subject to the availability of funds, the department shall allocate and disperse |
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| 27 | 27 | | grants to LEAs and public charter schools that have had a shooting or other firearm- |
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| 28 | 28 | | related death on school grounds on a school day while students were present. The |
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| 29 | 29 | | department shall establish and publish guidelines for applications, including eligibility, |
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| 30 | 30 | | and the award of grants. Priority for grants must be given to schools based on an |
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| 31 | 31 | | evaluation of need, including the availability of school resource officers, the number of |
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| 32 | 32 | | firearm-related incidents in the past two (2) school years, and the financial resources of |
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| 33 | 33 | | the LEA or public charter school. |
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| 34 | 34 | | (e) The state treasurer shall invest moneys in the fund for the benefit of the fund |
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| 35 | 35 | | in accordance with ยง 9-4-603. Interest accruing on investments and deposits of the fund |
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| 36 | 36 | | |
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| 37 | 37 | | |
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| 38 | 38 | | - 2 - 003202 |
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| 39 | 39 | | |
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| 40 | 40 | | must be credited to and remain part of the fund. Any unencumbered moneys and any |
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| 41 | 41 | | unexpended balance of the fund remaining at the end of a fiscal year do not revert to the |
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| 42 | 42 | | general fund, but must be carried forward until expended in accordance with this section. |
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| 43 | 43 | | (f) The department shall submit an annual report to the education and finance, |
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| 44 | 44 | | ways and means committees of the senate and the committees of the house of |
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| 45 | 45 | | representatives with jurisdiction over budget-related matters and primary and secondary |
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| 46 | 46 | | education-related matters by March 1, 2026, and by March 1 of each subsequent year |
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| 47 | 47 | | on the status of this program and the allocation of grant funds. |
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| 48 | 48 | | (g) The state board of education may promulgate rules necessary to effectuate |
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| 49 | 49 | | this section. The rules must be promulgated in accordance with the Uniform |
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| 50 | 50 | | Administrative Procedures Act, compiled in title 4, chapter 5. |
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| 51 | 51 | | SECTION 2. This act takes effect July 1, 2025, the public welfare requiring it. |
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