Two school security bills are headed to Gov. Chris Christie’s desk after passing the state Assembly November 21.
Class 3 Officers
The Governor is expected to sign the first measure, S-86 (Bucco), which would allow “class three” special law enforcement officers to provide security on K-12 and county college campuses. Christie conditionally vetoed the measure in September, saying he wanted the “class three” officers – retired police officers – to be required to go through the same training as school resource officers. The Senate concurred with the governor’s recommendation last month. It passed the Assembly on Monday by a vote of 72 to 0.
Funding for School Security Improvements
The other measure, A-2158 (Diegnan, would allow a district to use its emergency reserve fund or proceeds from bonds issued by the state Economic Development Authority to pay for school security improvements. Qualifying projects include security cameras, an electronic system that automatically notifies families of a school-wide emergency, an automatic door-locking system, or an employee badge system. The Assembly passed the bill 72 to 0. It unanimously passed out of the Senate in June.
Bill Held
A final measure, S-742/A-1205 (Beach / Mosquero), requiring boards of education to grant law enforcement access to live video streams of a public school was held.