SB 1215

This bill creates within the state general fund a special account to be known as the school safety grant fund , the purpose of which is to support local education a gencies (LEAs) and public charter schools with prevention, reduction, and response efforts with regard to school shootings. The department of education ("department"") must administer the fund, which is composed of money appropriated by the general assembl y for the fund, and gifts, grants, and other donations received by the department for the fund. DISTRIBUTION OF GRANTS Subject to the availability of funds, this bill requires the department to allocate and disperse grants to LEAs and public charter sch ools that have had a shooting or other firearm-related death on school grounds on a school day while students were present. The department must establish and publish guidelines for applications, including eligibility, and the award of grants. Priority fo r grants must be given to schools based on an evaluation of need, including the availability of school resource officers, the number of firearm-related incidents in the past two school years, and the financial resources of the LEA or public charter school. ANNUAL REPORT This bill requires the department to submit an annual report to the education and finance, ways and means committees of the senate and the committees of the house of representatives with jurisdiction over budget-related matters and primar y and secondary education-related matters by March 1 of each year on the status of this program and the allocation of grant funds. RULEMAKING This bill authorizes t he state board of education to promulgate rules necessary to effectuate this bill."