HARRISBURG - A bill to expand the scope of state school safety grants won unanimous approval Wednesday in the state Senate.
The measure, sponsored by Senate President Pro Tempore Joseph Scarnati, R-25, Jefferson County, would steer 60 percent of grant money to help schools train and pay for school resource officers and 40 percent for emergency planning and violence prevention programs.
The bill now goes to the House.
"This legislation takes a crucial step to provide schools with the funding they need to protect students and teachers, through the expansion of targeted grants for School Resource Officers, School Police Officers, violence prevention programs and emergency preparedness initiatives," said Mr. Scarnati.
An earlier bill version proposed a respective 75/25 split.
The revised funding split drew support from the Pennsylvania State Education Association.
"We believe the bill, as amended, recognizes both the importance of school resource officers and the value of research-based programs such as schoolwide positive behavior support, bullying prevention or alternate education," said PSEA President Michael Crossey.
Mr. Scarnati has called for increasing state safe schools funding from the current $500,000 a year to $10 million annually.
Senate Appropriations Chairman Jake Corman, R-34, Bellefonte, said earlier this week that the final amount will be negotiated as part of the final fiscal 2013-14 state budget.
Rep. Kevin Haggerty, D-112, Dunmore, has called for state funding to place school resource officers in elementary school buildings.
Contact the writer: rswift@timesshamrock.com