Bill Text: CT SB00236 | 2016 | General Assembly | Chaptered
Bill Title: An Act Extending The School Security Infrastructure Competitive Grant Program.
Spectrum: Committee Bill
Status: (Passed) 2016-06-06 - Signed by the Governor [SB00236 Detail]
Download: Connecticut-2016-SB00236-Chaptered.html
AN ACT EXTENDING THE SCHOOL SECURITY INFRASTRUCTURE COMPETITIVE GRANT PROGRAM.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 84 of public act 13-3, as amended by section 15 of public act 13-122, section 191 of public act 13-247, section 73 of public act 14-98 and section 1 of public act 15-5, is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage):
(a) For the fiscal years ending June 30, 2013, to June 30, [2016] 2017, inclusive, the Departments of Emergency Services and Public Protection, Administrative Services and Education shall jointly administer a school security infrastructure competitive grant program to reimburse a town, regional educational service center, the governing authority for a state charter school, the Department of Education on behalf of the technical high school system, an incorporated or endowed high school or academy approved by the State Board of Education pursuant to section 10-34 of the general statutes and the supervisory agent for a nonpublic school for certain expenses for schools incurred on or after January 1, 2013, for: (1) The development or improvement of the security infrastructure of schools, based on the results of school building security assessments pursuant to subsection (d) of this section, including, but not limited to, the installation of surveillance cameras, penetration resistant vestibules, ballistic glass, solid core doors, double door access, computer-controlled electronic locks, entry door buzzer systems, scan card systems, panic alarms, real time interoperable communications and multimedia sharing infrastructure or other systems; and (2) (A) the training of school personnel in the operation and maintenance of the security infrastructure of school buildings, or (B) the purchase of portable entrance security devices, including, but not limited to, metal detector wands and screening machines and related training.
(b) (1) On and after [the effective date of this section] April 4, 2013, each local and regional board of education may, on behalf of its town or its member towns, apply, at such time and in such manner as the Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection prescribes, to the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection for a grant for certain expenses for schools under the jurisdiction of such board of education incurred on or after January 1, 2013, for the purposes described in subsection (a) of this section. Prior to the date that the School Safety Infrastructure Council makes its initial submission of the school safety infrastructure standards, pursuant to subsection (c) of section 10-292r of the general statutes, the Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection, in consultation with the Commissioners of Administrative Services and Education, shall determine which expenses are eligible for reimbursement under the program. On and after the date that the School Safety Infrastructure Council submits the school safety infrastructure standards, the decision to approve or deny an application and the determination of which expenses are eligible for reimbursement under the program shall be in accordance with the most recent submission of the school safety infrastructure standards, pursuant to subsection (c) of section 10-292r of the general statutes.
(2) For the fiscal years ending June 30, 2015, [and] June 30, 2016, and June 30, 2017, a regional educational service center may apply, at such time and in such manner as the Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection prescribes, to the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection for a grant for certain expenses for schools under the jurisdiction of such regional educational service center incurred on or after January 1, 2013, for the purposes described in subsection (a) of this section. The department shall decide whether to approve or deny an application and which expenses are eligible for reimbursement under the program. Such decisions shall be in accordance with the school safety infrastructure standards developed pursuant to subsection (c) of section 10-292r of the general statutes.
(3) For the fiscal years ending June 30, 2015, [and] June 30, 2016, and June 30, 2017, the governing authority for a state charter school may apply, at such time and in such manner as the Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection prescribes, to the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection for a grant for certain expenses for schools under the jurisdiction of such governing authority incurred on or after January 1, 2013, for the purposes described in subsection (a) of this section. The department shall decide whether to approve or deny an application and which expenses are eligible for reimbursement under the program. Such decisions shall be in accordance with the school safety infrastructure standards developed pursuant to subsection (c) of section 10-292r of the general statutes.
(4) For the fiscal years ending June 30, 2015, [and] June 30, 2016, and June 30, 2017, the superintendent of the technical high school system may apply, at such time and in such manner as the Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection prescribes, to the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection for a grant for certain expenses for schools in the technical high school system incurred on or after January 1, 2013, for the purposes described in subsection (a) of this section. The department shall decide whether to approve or deny an application and which expenses are eligible for reimbursement under the program. Such decisions shall be in accordance with the school safety infrastructure standards developed pursuant to subsection (c) of section 10-292r of the general statutes.
(5) For the fiscal years ending June 30, 2015, [and] June 30, 2016, and June 30, 2017, an incorporated or endowed high school or academy may apply, at such time and in such manner as the Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection prescribes, to the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection for a grant for certain expenses incurred on or after January 1, 2013, for the purposes described in subsection (a) of this section. The department shall decide whether to approve or deny an application and which expenses are eligible for reimbursement under the program. Such decisions shall be in accordance with the school safety infrastructure standards developed pursuant to subsection (c) of section 10-292r of the general statutes.
(6) (A) For the fiscal years ending June 30, 2015, [and] June 30, 2016, and June 30, 2017, the supervisory agent for a nonpublic school may apply, at such time and in such manner as the Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection prescribes, to the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection for a grant for certain expenses for schools under the jurisdiction of such supervisory agent incurred on or after January 1, 2013, for the purposes described in subsection (a) of this section. The department shall decide whether to approve or deny an application and which expenses are eligible for reimbursement under the program. Such decisions shall be in accordance with the school safety infrastructure standards developed pursuant to subsection (c) of section 10-292r of the general statutes.
(B) For the fiscal years ending June 30, 2015, [and] June 30, 2016, and June 30, 2017, ten per cent of the funds available under the program shall be awarded to the supervisory agents of nonpublic schools, in accordance with the provisions of subdivision (6) of subsection (c) of this section.
(c) (1) A town may receive a grant equal to a percentage of its eligible expenses. The percentage shall be determined as follows: (A) Each town shall be ranked in descending order from one to one hundred sixty-nine according to town wealth, as defined in subdivision (26) of section 10-262f of the general statutes, (B) based upon such ranking, a percentage of not less than twenty or more than eighty shall be assigned to each town on a continuous scale, and (C) the town ranked first shall be assigned a percentage of twenty and the town ranked last shall be assigned a percentage of eighty.
(2) A regional educational service center may receive a grant equal to a percentage of its eligible expenses. The percentage shall be determined by its ranking. Such ranking shall be determined by (A) multiplying the population of each member town in the regional educational service center by such town's ranking, as determined in subsection (a) of section 10-285a of the general statutes; (B) adding together the figures for each town determined under subparagraph (A) of this subdivision; and (C) dividing the total computed under subparagraph (B) of this subdivision by the total population of all member towns in the regional educational service center. The ranking of each regional educational service center shall be rounded to the next higher whole number and each such center shall receive the same reimbursement percentage as would a town with the same rank.
(3) The governing authority for a state charter school may receive a grant equal to a percentage of its eligible expenses that is the same as the town in which such state charter school is located, as calculated pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection.
(4) The Department of Education, on behalf of the technical high school system, may receive a grant equal to one hundred per cent of its eligible expenses.
(5) An incorporated or endowed high school or academy may receive a grant equal to a percentage of its eligible expenses. The percentage shall be determined by its ranking. Such ranking shall be determined by (A) multiplying the total population, as defined in section 10-261 of the general statutes, of each town which at the time of application for such school security infrastructure competitive grant has designated such school as the high school for such town for a period of not less than five years from the date of such application, by such town's percentile ranking, as determined in subsection (a) of section 10-285a of the general statutes, (B) adding together the figures for each town determined under subparagraph (A) of this subdivision, and (C) dividing the total computed under subparagraph (B) of this subdivision by the total population of all towns which designate the school as their high school under subparagraph (A) of this subdivision. The ranking determined pursuant to this subsection shall be rounded to the next higher whole number. Such incorporated or endowed high school or academy shall receive the reimbursement percentage of a town with the same rank.
(6) The supervisory agent for a nonpublic school may receive a grant equal to fifty per cent of its eligible expenses.
(d) (1) For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2014, if there are not sufficient funds to provide grants to all towns, based on the percentage determined pursuant to subsection (c) of this section, the Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection, in consultation with the Commissioners of Administrative Services and Education, shall give priority to applicants on behalf of schools with the greatest need for security infrastructure, as determined by said commissioners based on school building security assessments of the schools under the jurisdiction of the town's school district conducted pursuant to this subdivision. Of the applicants on behalf of such schools with the greatest need for security infrastructure, said commissioners shall give first priority to applicants on behalf of schools that have no security infrastructure at the time of such school building security assessment and succeeding priority to applicants on behalf of schools located in priority school districts pursuant to section 10-266p of the general statutes. To be eligible for reimbursement pursuant to this section, an applicant board of education shall (A) demonstrate that it has developed and periodically practices an emergency plan at the schools under its jurisdiction and that such plan has been developed in concert with applicable state or local first-responders, and (B) provide for a uniform assessment of the schools under its jurisdiction, including any security infrastructure, using the National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities' Safe Schools Facilities Checklist. The assessment shall be conducted under the supervision of the local law enforcement agency.
(2) For the fiscal years ending June 30, 2015, [and] June 30, 2016, and June 30, 2017, if there are not sufficient funds to provide grants to all applicants that are towns, regional educational service centers, governing authorities for state charter schools, the Department of Education, on behalf of the technical high school system, and incorporated or endowed high schools or academies based on the percentage determined pursuant to subsection (c) of this section, the Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection, in consultation with the Commissioners of Administrative Services and Education, shall give priority to applicants on behalf of schools with the greatest need for security infrastructure, as determined by said commissioners based on school building security assessments of the schools under the jurisdiction of the applicant conducted pursuant to this subdivision. Of the applicants on behalf of such schools with the greatest need for security infrastructure, said commissioners shall give first priority to applicants on behalf of schools that have no security infrastructure at the time of such school building security assessment and succeeding priority to applicants on behalf of schools located in priority school districts pursuant to section 10-266p of the general statutes. To be eligible for reimbursement pursuant to this section, an applicant shall (A) demonstrate that it has developed and periodically practices an emergency plan at the schools under its jurisdiction and that such plan has been developed in concert with applicable state or local first-responders, and (B) provide for a uniform assessment of the schools under its jurisdiction, including any security infrastructure, using the National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities' Safe Schools Facilities Checklist. The assessment shall be conducted under the supervision of the local law enforcement agency.
(3) For the fiscal years ending June 30, 2015, [and] June 30, 2016, and June 30, 2017, if there are not sufficient funds to provide grants to all applicant supervisory agents for nonpublic schools, based on the percentages described in subsection (c) of this section, the Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection, in consultation with the Commissioners of Administrative Services and Education, shall give priority to applicants on behalf of schools with the greatest need for security infrastructure, as determined by said commissioners. Of the applicants on behalf of such schools with the greatest need for security infrastructure, said commissioners shall give first priority to applicants on behalf of schools that have no security infrastructure at the time of application. To be eligible for reimbursement pursuant to this section, an applicant supervisory agent for a nonpublic school shall (A) demonstrate that it has developed and periodically practices an emergency plan at the school under its jurisdiction and that such plan has been developed in concert with applicable state or local first-responders, and (B) provide for a uniform assessment of the schools under its jurisdiction, including any security infrastructure, using the National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities' Safe Schools Facilities Checklist. The assessment shall be conducted under the supervision of the local law enforcement agency.