COLUMBUS—State Senator Bob Peterson (R-Washington Court House) recently announced the Senate passage of House Bill 318, legislation designed to help increase security measures in Ohio schools.
House Bill 318 establishes 40 hours of specialized training for school resource officers, and permits them to provide a range of services to the schools they serve, according to Peterson.
“As lawmakers we need to be doing everything in our power to ensure students are safe when they go to school,” said Peterson. “While there is still more work to be done, I am confident that this bill will help provide the necessary training and resources to ensure Ohio has the safest schools in the nation.”
Senate amendments to the bill give greater flexibility for training, and permits law enforcement officers who are certified by the Peace Officer Training Commission to teach the training course.
Additionally, the bill now includes an increase in school safety grants from $10 million to $12 million.
“School safety is a shared responsibility. I encourage anyone who has additional ideas on how to keep our students safer to collaborate with my office and their local school district,” Peterson said.
The bill was also amended to include the Supporting Alternatives for Fair Education, (SAFE) Act, aimed at keeping students with disciplinary concerns in school and on track to earn their diplomas. This is a product of months of collaboration between parents, teachers, administrators and the Ohio Department of Education, according to Peterson.
House Bill 318 will now go back to the House of Representatives for a vote on concurrence.
