PRINTER'S NO. 3257

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE RESOLUTION

No.

798

Session of

2018

INTRODUCED BY READSHAW, MARSICO, BARBIN, YOUNGBLOOD,

CALTAGIRONE, FRANKEL, LONGIETTI, MURT, NEILSON, KULIK,

SCHLOSSBERG, J. McNEILL, D. MILLER, STEPHENS, B. MILLER,

a report making recommendations and suggesting funding

resources for a Statewide school security program.

WHEREAS, The Commonwealth takes the health, safety and

welfare of students in Pennsylvania with utmost seriousness; and

WHEREAS, The Commonwealth operates 500 public school

districts with 1.74 million students; and

WHEREAS, The Commonwealth operates 155 brick and mortar

charter schools and 20 cyber charter schools; and

WHEREAS, In both the fall semester of 2016 and all of 2017,

Pennsylvania had the second highest number of school threats

WHEREAS, School threats, either through social media, word of

mouth or other means, need to be reported to school authorities

and law enforcement to be thoroughly investigated and to allow

for notification to parents and guardians of credible threats;

and

WHEREAS, If school personnel are well-trained on how to

intervene and quickly respond to threats, threats will become

less effective because such a response will eliminate the chaos,

uncertainty and disruption intended by the maker; and

WHEREAS, Education is the key to decreasing, and possibly

be it

RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives direct the Joint

State Government Commission to conduct a study on school safety

programs of the 500 public school districts, including charter

schools, in this Commonwealth; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Joint State Government Commission issue a

report with recommendations on a Statewide school security

program for all schools within this Commonwealth and recommend

funding sources for the school security program as to eliminate

the appearance of an unfunded mandate applied to the school