| |
|
| |
| THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA |
| |
| SENATE BILL |
|
| |
| |
| INTRODUCED BY YUDICHAK, BAKER, GORDNER, TARTAGLIONE, FARNESE, SOLOBAY, COSTA, BLAKE, STACK, BREWSTER, SCHWANK, ARGALL, BOSCOLA, FONTANA, WASHINGTON, HUGHES, BROWNE AND FERLO, MAY 29, 2012 |
| |
| |
| REFERRED TO EDUCATION, MAY 29, 2012 |
| |
| |
| |
| AN ACT |
| |
1 | Amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), entitled "An |
2 | act relating to the public school system, including certain |
3 | provisions applicable as well to private and parochial |
4 | schools; amending, revising, consolidating and changing the |
5 | laws relating thereto," further providing for Office for Safe |
6 | Schools. |
7 | The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania |
8 | hereby enacts as follows: |
9 | Section 1. Section 1302-A(b) and (c) of the act of March 10, |
10 | 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, |
11 | amended November 17, 2010 (P.L.996, No.104), are amended to |
12 | read: |
13 | Section 1302-A. Office for Safe Schools.--* * * |
14 | (b) The office shall have the power and duty to implement |
15 | the following: |
16 | (1) To coordinate antiviolence efforts between school, |
17 | professional, parental, governmental, law enforcement and |
18 | community organizations and associations. |
19 | (2) To collect, develop and disseminate information, |
|
1 | policies, strategies and other information to assist in the |
2 | development of programs to impact school violence. |
3 | (2.1) To direct all school entities to submit annual school |
4 | violence statistics and reports to the office no later than July |
5 | 31 of each year. |
6 | (3) To provide direct training to school employes, parents, |
7 | law enforcement officials and communities on effective measures |
8 | to prevent and combat school violence. |
9 | (4) To advise school entities and nonpublic schools on the |
10 | development of policies to be used regarding possession of |
11 | weapons by any person, acts of violence and protocols for |
12 | coordination with and reporting to law enforcement officials and |
13 | the Department of Education. |
14 | (4.1) To verify the existence of corrective action plans to |
15 | reduce incidents of violence as required in the No Child Left |
16 | Behind Act of 2001 (Public Law 107-110, 115 Stat. 1425). |
17 | (5) To develop forms to be used by school entities and |
18 | police departments for reporting incidents involving acts of |
19 | violence and possession of weapons on school property. The forms |
20 | shall be reviewed on a biennial basis and revised when |
21 | necessary. |
22 | (6) To verify that each school entity has a biennially |
23 | updated and reexecuted memorandum of understanding with local |
24 | law enforcement and has filed such memorandum with the office on |
25 | a biennial basis. |
26 | (7) To publish and post on the Department of Education's |
27 | Internet website a School Safety Annual Report no later than |
28 | November 1 of each calendar year outlining all incidents |
29 | required to be reported under section 1303-A and any school |
30 | district that failed to submit a report under section 1303-A. |
|
1 | (8) Not later than January 2, 2013, to establish an antigang |
2 | counseling program to provide materials, support and financial |
3 | assistance to participating school districts to establish pilot |
4 | programs designed to educate students and parents on the |
5 | following: |
6 | (i) The extent to which criminal gang activity exists in the |
7 | school district's community and the types of activity that |
8 | criminal gangs engage in or promote. |
9 | (ii) The negative societal impacts that criminal gangs have |
10 | on a community, including criminal activity. |
11 | (iii) Methods to discourage participation in criminal gangs. |
12 | (iv) The consequences of criminal gang activity, including |
13 | consequences in the criminal justice system for participating in |
14 | criminal gangs. |
15 | (9) To encourage the use of community resources not directly |
16 | affiliated with the school district, including the participation |
17 | of law enforcement officials in a pilot program under paragraph |
18 | (8). |
19 | * * * |
20 | (c) In addition to the powers and duties set forth under |
21 | subsection (b), the office is authorized to make targeted grants |
22 | to school entities to fund programs which address school |
23 | violence, including: |
24 | (1) Conflict resolution or dispute management, including |
25 | restorative justice strategies. |
26 | (1.1) School-wide positive behavior support that includes |
27 | primary or universal, secondary and tertiary supports and |
28 | interventions in school entities. |
29 | (1.2) School-based diversion programs. |
30 | (2) Peer helpers programs. |
|
1 | (3) Risk assessment, safety-related, violence prevention |
2 | curricula, including, but not limited to, dating violence |
3 | curricula and restorative justice strategies. |
4 | (4) Classroom management. |
5 | (5) Student codes of conduct. |
6 | (6) Training to undertake a districtwide assessment of risk |
7 | factors that increase the likelihood of problem behaviors among |
8 | students. |
9 | (7) Development and implementation of research-based |
10 | violence prevention programs that address risk factors to reduce |
11 | incidents of problem behaviors among students including, but not |
12 | limited to, bullying. |
13 | (8) Comprehensive, districtwide school safety and violence |
14 | prevention plans. |
15 | (9) Security planning, purchase of security-related |
16 | technology which may include metal detectors, protective |
17 | lighting, surveillance equipment, special emergency |
18 | communications equipment, electronic locksets, deadbolts and |
19 | theft control devices and training in the use of security- |
20 | related technology. Security planning and purchase of security- |
21 | related technology shall be based on safety needs identified by |
22 | the school entity's board of directors. |
23 | (10) Institution of student, staff and visitor |
24 | identification systems, including criminal background check |
25 | software. |
26 | (11) Establishment or enhancement of school security |
27 | personnel, including school resource officers. |
28 | (12) Provision of specialized staff and student training |
29 | programs, including training for Student Assistance Program team |
30 | members in elementary, middle and high schools in the referral |
|
1 | of students at risk of violent behavior to appropriate |
2 | community-based services, including mental health services. |
3 | (13) Alternative education programs provided for in Article |
4 | XIX-C. |
5 | (14) Counseling services for students enrolled in |
6 | alternative education programs. |
7 | (15) An Internet web-based system for the management of |
8 | student discipline, including misconduct and criminal offenses. |
9 | (16) Staff training programs in the use of positive behavior |
10 | supports, de-escalation techniques and appropriate responses to |
11 | student behavior that may require immediate intervention. |
12 | (17) Antigang pilot programs. |
13 | * * * |
14 | Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days. |
|