Bill Text: PA HB1605 | 2009-2010 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Providing for school police and security officer training.

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 18-6)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2009-06-03 - Referred to EDUCATION [HB1605 Detail]

Download: Pennsylvania-2009-HB1605-Introduced.html

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PRINTER'S NO. 1997
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No. 1605 Session of2009
INTRODUCED BY HARHAI, BEYER, BRENNAN, BROWN, D. COSTA, CREIGHTON, DeLUCA, FABRIZIO, FREEMAN, GEIST, GRUCELA, HALUSKA, HENNESSEY, HORNAMAN, HOUGHTON, W. KELLER, KORTZ, KOTIK, McGEEHAN, MELIO, MURT, K. SMITH, J. TAYLOR AND YOUNGBLOOD, JUNE 3, 2009
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, JUNE 3, 2009
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," providing for school police and
security officer training.
The General Assembly finds and declares as follows:
(1) The General Assembly finds that there are school
security officers and security guards employed by school
districts across this Commonwealth, who are entrusted with
securing our school buildings, property and the safety of our
students, staff, administration and all related support staff
members 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 such school security
guards as a basis of their employment and to prescribe a
course of instruction to obtain such certification.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. 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 are as
follows:
(1) A security officer hired by a school district on or
after the effective date of this section must have completed a
mandated course of training within one year of being hired.
(2) A security officer hired prior to the effective date
shall have a fair time frame determined by the board to either
give cause, to the board's satisfaction, of why the training
should be waived or to take the mandated training course.
(3) An approved training course must include the following
topics:
(i) Professionalism.
(ii) Authority as a school 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.
(xi) The school code.
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(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 school officer must be certified in basic
first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and automated
external defibrillator (AED) usage.
(5) The course shall 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 the board.
(b) (1) The board shall have the duty to adopt curriculum
that is in compliance with this act, to pay costs of
certification and recertification, but not for qualification for
training, to set the date and location of the certification and
recertification courses and to maintain and file with the
department a list of all certified security officers in the
district.
(2) The department shall have the duty to approve all board-
adopted policies and the authority to promulgate rules and
regulations not inconsistent with this act and to issue
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certification or recertification upon successful completion of
the mandated and approved training course.
(c) 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.
(d) 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 certified physician attest to the individual's
physical ability to perform the duties of a security officer.
(3) Have on file with both the board and the department the
following:
(i) A Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) clearance.
(ii) Certification under section 111 relating to background
checks of perspective employes and conviction of employes of
certain offenses.
(iii) Certification under 23 Pa.C.S. Ch. 63 Subch. C.2
(relating to background checks for employment in schools).
(e) The department shall issue a certification to the
individual upon successful completion of the required training
course. The only ongoing requirement to keep the certification
valid shall be successful completion of the yearly twenty (20)
hour course. This course shall consist of updates to the basic
curriculum or specialized areas that the board deems necessary.
(f) Nothing in this act shall require or prohibit a
centralized training or recertification course.
(g) As used in this section:
"Board" means the board of school directors for a local
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school district.
"Department" means the Department of Education of the
Commonwealth.
"District" means a school district located within this
Commonwealth.
"Security officer" means a person employed by a school
district for the purposes of maintaining the security of the
school. The term shall include school police officers hired
under section 778.
Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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