Relating to school security, including the use of school security personnel by school districts and authorizing school employees to be issued professional permits to carry weapons, and including effective date provisions

The bill encourages all school districts with a total enrollment of less than 8,000 students to employ, or retain the services of, at least one private school security officer or school resource officer to guard each attendance center where students enrolled in grades through regularly attend classes. The bill requires the department of education to develop and administer a school security personnel grant program to provide annual grants to match moneys provided by such school districts to allow the school districts to offset costs associated with employing, or retaining the services of, a private school security officer or school resource officer. The bill provides that the amount of an annual grant provided by the department to a school district that has provided matching moneys pursuant to this provision shall not exceed $50,000. The bill establishes a school security personnel grant program fund in the state treasury to be administered by the department.6 (professional permit to carry weapons). The bill requires a private school security officer employed or retained by the board of directors of a school district to participate in the annual live scenario training and quarterly live firearm training sessions described below. The bill defines “private security business” as a business of furnishing, for hire or reward, guards, watch personnel, armored car personnel, patrol personnel, or other persons to protect persons or property, to prevent the unlawful taking of goods and merchandise, or to prevent the misappropriation or concealment of goods, merchandise, money, securities, or other valuable documents or papers, and includes an individual who for hire patrols, watches, or guards a residential, industrial, or business property or district.1A. The bill provides that a person may be issued a permit to carry weapons if the person is a school employee of a school district, a private school, or an institution of higher education.8. A person issued a permit to carry weapons is required to receive one-time, in-person legal training, including training on qualified immunity, annual emergency medical training, and annual communication training that is approved by the department of public safety. The department of public safety is required to implement annual live scenario training and quarterly live firearm training for school employees. The bill provides that a school employee issued a professional permit to carry by the department of public safety after completing department of public safety-approved training, and the school district that employs the school employee, is entitled to qualified immunity from criminal or civil liability for all damages incurred pursuant to the application of reasonable force at the place of employment. The bill provides that the identity of a person who has been issued a permit pursuant to this provision is confidential and shall not be a public record subject to disclosure. The bill provides that a school employee shall not be required, as a condition of employment, to obtain a permit.