Massachusetts H 227: An Act creating a school resource officer grant program and fund

Bill Text

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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 147 FILED ON: 1/6/2017
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 227

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
James M. Cantwell
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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:
The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
An Act creating a school resource officer grant program and fund.
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PETITION OF:

NAME: DISTRICT/ADDRESS: DATE ADDED:
James M. Cantwell 4th Plymouth 1/6/2017
Thomas J. Calter 12th Plymouth 2/1/2017
Josh S. Cutler 6th Plymouth 2/3/2017
Susan Williams Gifford 2nd Plymouth 2/3/2017
Patrick M. O'Connor Plymouth and Norfolk 2/2/2017

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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 147 FILED ON: 1/6/2017
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 227
By Mr. Cantwell of Marshfield, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 227) of James M.
Cantwell and others relative to creating a school resource officer grant program and fund.
Education.

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 332 OF 2015-2016.]

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninetieth General Court
(2017-2018)
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An Act creating a school resource officer grant program and fund.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:

1 SECTION 1. Chapter 69 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2014 Official Edition,
2 is hereby amended by inserting the following section: -
3 Section 37. School Resource Officer Grant Program
4 (a) From the funds appropriated for such purpose and from the gifts, donations, grants,
5 bequests, and other funds received on its behalf, there is established (1) the School Resource
6 Officer Grant Program, to be administered by the board, in consultation with the Board of
7 Education, and (2) a special nonreverting fund within the state treasury known as the School
8 Resource Officer Incentive Grant Program, hereinafter known as the fund. Any monies
9 remaining in the fund at the end of the legislative session shall not revert to the General Fund,

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10 but shall remain in the fund. Interest earned on such funds shall remain in the fund and be
11 credited to it.
12 Subject to the authority of the board to provide for its disbursement, the fund shall be
13 disbursed to award matching grants to local law enforcement agencies and local school boards
14 that have established a collaborative agreement to employ uniformed school resource officers, as
15 defined in subsection (b) of this section 37, in middle and high schools within the relevant school
16 division. The board may disburse annually up to five percent of the fund for training of the
17 school resource officers. School resource officers shall be certified law enforcement officers and
18 shall be employed to help ensure safety, to prevent truancy and violence in schools, and to
19 enforce school board rules and codes of student conduct.
20 (b) The board, in consultation with the commissioner and the Department on Public
21 Safety, shall establish criteria for making grants from the fund, including procedures for
22 determining the amount of a grant and the required local match. Any grant or general funds shall
23 be matched by the locality on the basis of the locality’s ability to pay. The board may adopt
24 guidelines governing the program and the employment and duties of the school resource officers
25 as it deems necessary and appropriate.