Regular Session 2015-2016 House Bill 0622 P.N. 0722

PRINTER'S NO. 722

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE BILL

No.

622

Session of

2015

INTRODUCED BY HARHAI, D. COSTA, BROWNLEE, McNEILL, THOMAS,

KINSEY, KOTIK, COHEN, KORTZ, MAHONEY AND MURT,

FEBRUARY 26, 2015

REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, FEBRUARY 26, 2015

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 grounds and buildings, providing

for school police and security officer training.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1. The General Assembly finds and declares as

follows:

(1) School security officers and security guards

employed by school districts across this Commonwealth are

entrusted with securing our school buildings, property and

the safety of our students, staff, administration and all

related support staff employed in the educational setting.

These security officers and guards are to ensure that the

youth of this Commonwealth have a safe learning environment.

(2) The purpose of this act is to provide for the

education, training and certification of school security

personnel as a basis of their employment and to prescribe a

course of instruction to obtain certification.

Section 2. The act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known

as the Public School Code of 1949, is amended by adding a

section to read:

Section 778.1. Training Requirements for School Security

Officers.--(a) Education and training requirements for security

officers are as follows:

(1) A security officer hired by a school district on or

after the effective date of this section must complete a

mandated training course within one year of being hired.

(2) A security officer hired by a school district prior to

the effective date of this section shall have a reasonable

amount of time, as determined by the board of directors of the

school district, to either give cause to the board's

satisfaction as to why the training should be waived or to

complete the mandated training course.

(3) An approved training course must include the following

topics:

(i) Professionalism.

(ii) Authority as a security officer.

(iii) Report writing.

(iv) Self-defense and dealing with unruly students and

adults.

(v) Search and seizure on school property.

(vi) Testifying in court.

(vii) Working with State and local police agencies.

(viii) Lockdown and crisis procedures.

(ix) Interviewing witnesses.

(x) Preserving evidence.

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(xi) The relevant provisions of this act.

(xii) Basic computer skills.

(xiii) Custody issues specific to schools.

(xiv) Crowd control.

(xv) Special events security.

(xvi) Drug identification.

(xvii) Truancy and related issues.

(4) In addition, a security officer must be certified in

basic first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and

automated external defibrillator (AED) usage.

(5) An approved training course must include at least sixty

(60) hours of instruction.

(6) Instructors for the required course material must be

accredited through one of the following:

(i) The department.

(ii) The Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency.

(iii) The provisions of 53 Pa.C.S. Ch. 21 Subch. D (relating

to municipal police education and training).

(iv) The Pennsylvania State Police.

(7) Instructors for any additional course material must be

approved by a board of directors of a school district.

(b) The board of directors of a school district shall have

the duty to:

(1) Adopt curriculum that is in compliance with this

section.

(2) Pay costs of certification and recertification, but not

for qualification for training.

(3) Set the date and location of the certification and

recertification courses.

(4) Maintain and file with the department a list of all

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certified security officers in the school district.

board-adopted policies and the authority to promulgate rules and

regulations consistent with this section and to issue

certification or recertification upon successful completion of

the mandated and approved training course.

(d) A person who is certified under 53 Pa.C.S. § 2167

(relating to police training), 2168 (relating to automatic

certification) or 2169 (relating to in-service training by

existing personnel) shall be automatically certified by the

board of directors of a school district.

(e) To qualify for admission into a training course, the

individual must meet all the following:

(1) Be eighteen (18) years of age or older.

(2) Have a physician attest to the individual's physical

ability to perform the duties of a security officer.

(3) Have on file with both the board of directors of a

school district and the department the following:

(i) A Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) clearance.

(ii) A completed background check under section 111.

(f) The department shall issue a certification to the

individual upon successful completion of the required training

course. Certification may be renewed annually upon successful

completion of twenty (20) hours of continuing education

consisting of updates to the basic curriculum or specialized

areas that a board of directors of a school district deems

necessary.

(g) Nothing in this section shall require or prohibit a

centralized training or recertification course.

(h) As used in this section:

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"Department." The Department of Education of the

Commonwealth.

"Security officer." A person employed by a school district

for the purpose of maintaining the security of the school. The

term shall include school police officers hired under section

778.

Section 3. This act shall take effect in 60 days.

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