PRINTER'S NO. 2137
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No.
1631
Session of
2019
INTRODUCED BY ORTITAY, SCHMITT, FLYNN, KULIK, RYAN, TOPPER,
KAUFFMAN, SAYLOR, TURZAI, STRUZZI AND MASSER, JUNE 14, 2019
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, JUNE 14, 2019
AN ACT
Amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), entitled "An
act relating to the public school system, including certain
provisions applicable as well to private and parochial
schools; amending, revising, consolidating and changing the
laws relating thereto," in school safety and security,
further providing for definitions and for School Safety and
Security Grant Program.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Section 1301-B of the act of March 10, 1949
(P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, is
amended by adding a definition to read:
Section 1301-B. Definitions.
The following words and phrases when used in this article
shall have the meaning given to them in this section unless the
context clearly indicates otherwise:
* * *
"Department." The Department of Education of the
Commonwealth.
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Section 2. Section 1306-B of the act, added June 22, 2018
(P.L.327, No.44), is amended to read:
Section 1306-B. School Safety and Security [Grant]
Disbursements Program.
(a) Establishment.--The School Safety and Security [Grant]
Disbursements Program is established to make school entities
within this Commonwealth safer places.
(b) Functions generally.--The [committee] department shall
perform all functions related to the [direct] application,
approval[, disbursement] and administration of [grants under the
program.
(c) Diversity.--The committee shall ensure that grant
funding under the program is geographically dispersed throughout
this Commonwealth.] disbursements of money under this section.
(d) Supplement and not supplant.--[Grant money] Money
allocated [through the program] under this section shall be used
to supplement and not supplant existing school entity spending
on school safety and security.
(e) Effect of revenue received.--[Grant money] Money
received by a school entity under this section may not be
included when calculating the amount to be paid to a charter
school under section 1725-A.
(f) [Minimum allocation.--Each school district that makes a
meritorious application as prescribed by the committee under
subsection (j) shall receive a minimum grant allocation of
$25,000 annually.
(g) Limitation.--Each school entity may submit one
application annually and no school entity may receive an annual
grant allocation that exceeds 10% of the funds available under
the grant program.] Disbursements.--Each school entity that
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makes a meritorious application as prescribed by the department
shall receive a disbursement under this section. Annual
disbursements shall be as follows:
(1) Ten million dollars for grants to community violence
prevention programs under subsection (j)(22).
(2) Twenty-five thousand dollars to each school
district.
(3) Twenty-five thousand dollars to each school entity
other than a school district.
(4) The balance of the amount available for
disbursements under this section after the allocations under
paragraphs (1), (2) and (3), to each school district
according to the following formula:
(i) Multiply the balance by the school district's
student-weighted average daily membership.
(ii) Divide the product under subparagraph (i) by
the total student-weighted average daily membership of
all school entities as of the beginning of the current
school year.
(h) School Safety and Security Fund.--
(1) The School Safety and Security Fund is established
as a special nonlapsing fund in the State Treasury.
(2) All money deposited in the fund and the interest it
accrues are appropriated to the [commission] department on a
continuing basis to [award grants under this article]
disburse funds under this section.
(3) No administrative action shall prevent the deposit
of money into the fund in the fiscal year in which the money
is received.
(4) The fund may only be used for [the grant program]
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disbursements authorized under this [article] section and no
money in the fund may be transferred or diverted to any other
purpose by administrative action.
(5) Money available to the fund shall include
appropriations and transfers from the General Fund, special
funds, Federal funds and other sources of revenue made
available to it.
(6) Money from the fund shall be allocated for the
purpose of making [grants] disbursements under this section
no later than October 31, 2019, and each October 31
thereafter.
(7) Not more than 12.5% of the fund may be allocated
annually for grants under subsection (j)(22).
(i) Community violence prevention programs.--
(1) For the purpose of subsection (j)(22),
municipalities, institutions of higher education, community-
based organizations and other entities approved by the
[committee] department shall be deemed school entities.
(2) [(Reserved).] The department shall perform all
functions related to the direct approval and administration
of disbursements of grants for the purpose of subsection (j)
(22).
(j) Specific purposes.--The [committee] department shall
[provide grants] disburse funds to school entities for programs
that address safety and security, including:
(1) Safety and security assessments that meet the
committee's criteria.
(2) Conflict resolution or dispute management, including
restorative justice strategies.
(3) School-wide positive behavior support that includes
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primary or universal, secondary and tertiary supports and
interventions in school entities.
(4) School-based diversion programs.
(5) Peer helper programs.
(6) Risk assessment, safety-related, violence prevention
curricula, including dating violence curricula and
restorative justice strategies.
(7) Classroom management.
(8) Student codes of conduct.
(9) Training to undertake a districtwide assessment of
risk factors that increase the likelihood of problem
behaviors among students.
(10) Development and implementation of research-based
violence prevention programs that address risk factors to
reduce incidents of problem behaviors among students,
including, but not limited to, bullying.
(11) Thorough, districtwide school safety, violence
prevention, emergency preparedness and all-hazards plans,
including revisions or updates to such plans and conducting
emergency preparedness drills and related activities with
local emergency responders.
(12) Security planning and purchase of security-related
technology, which may include metal detectors, protective
lighting, specialty trained canines, surveillance equipment,
special emergency communications equipment, automated
external defibrillators, electronic locksets, deadbolts,
trauma kits and theft control devices and training in the use
of security-related technology. Security planning and
purchase of security-related technology shall be based on
safety needs identified by the school entity's board of
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school directors.
(13) Institution of student, staff and visitor
identification systems, including criminal background check
software.
(14) Provision of specialized staff and student training
programs, including training for Student Assistance Program
team members in the referral of students at risk of violent
behavior to appropriate community-based services and
behavioral health services and training related to prevention
and early intervention.
(15) Counseling services for students.
(16) A system for the management of student discipline,
including misconduct and criminal offenses.
(17) Staff training programs in the use of positive
behavior supports, de-escalation techniques and appropriate
responses to student behavior that may require immediate
intervention.
(18) Costs associated with the training and compensation
of school resource officers and school police officers.
(19) Costs associated with the training and compensation
of certified guidance counselors, licensed professional
counselors, licensed social workers, licensed clinical social
workers and school psychologists.
(20) Administration of evidence-based screenings for
adverse childhood experiences that are proven to be
determinants of physical, social and behavioral health and
provide trauma-informed counseling services as necessary to
students based upon the screening results.
(21) Trauma-informed approaches to education, including:
(i) Increasing student and school employee access to
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quality trauma support services and behavioral health
care, including the following:
(A) Hiring or contracting with certified
guidance counselors, licensed professional
counselors, licensed social workers, licensed
clinical social workers, school psychologists and
other professional health personnel to provide
services to students and school employees.
(B) Developing collaborative efforts between the
school entity and behavioral health professionals to
identify students in need of trauma support and to
provide prevention, screening, referral and treatment
services to students potentially in need of services.
(ii) Programs providing:
(A) Trauma-informed approaches to education in
the curriculum, including training of school
employees, school directors and behavioral health
professionals to develop safe, stable and nurturing
learning environments that prevent and mitigate the
effects of trauma.
(B) Services for children and their families, as
appropriate, who have experienced or are at risk of
experiencing trauma, including those who are low-
income, homeless, involved in the child welfare
system or involved in the juvenile justice system.
(22) Programs designed to reduce community violence,
including:
(i) Increasing access to quality trauma-informed
support services and behavioral health care by linking
the community with local trauma support and behavioral
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health systems.
(ii) Providing health services and intervention
strategies by coordinating the services provided by
eligible applicants and coordinated care organizations,
public health entities, nonprofit youth service providers
and community-based organizations.
(iii) Providing mentoring and other intervention
models to children and their families who have
experienced trauma or are at risk of experiencing trauma,
including those who are low-income, homeless, in foster
care, involved in the criminal justice system,
unemployed, experiencing a mental illness or substance
abuse disorder or not enrolled in or at risk of dropping
out of an educational institution.
(iv) Fostering and promoting communication between
the school entity, community and law enforcement.
(v) Any other program or model designed to reduce
community violence and approved by the committee.
[(k) Coordination of grant distribution.--The department
shall coordinate the distribution of grants under Article XIII-A
with the committee to ensure the most effective use of
resources.]
(l) Audits.--The [commission] department may randomly audit
grant recipients under subsection (j)(22) to ensure the
appropriate use of grant funds and compliance with the
provisions of subsection (d).
Section 3. This act shall take effect June 30, 2019, or
immediately, whichever is later.
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