DELAWARE STATE SENATE

151st GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SENATE BILL NO. 314

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 29 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO PUBLIC SCHOOL SAFETY.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE:

Section 1. Amend Chapter 82, Title 29 of the Delaware Code by making deletions as shown by strike through and insertions as shown by underline as follows:

§ 8237A. Omnibus School Safety Fund.

(a) As used in this section:

(1) “Charter school” means a school established under Chapter 5 of Title 14.

(2) “Omnibus School Safety Fund” or “Fund” means the fund created under subsection (b) of this section.

(3) “Public school” means a school which is part of a school district.

(4) “School district” means a clearly defined geographic subdivision of the State organized for the purpose of administering public education in that area and includes a district specifically created to administer a system of vocational or technical education.

(5) “School safety project” means a project in compliance with subsection (d) of this section or approved by the Secretary under this section.

(6) “Secretary” means the Secretary of the Department of Safety and Homeland Security.

(b) The Omnibus School Safety Fund is created to provide funding to a public school or a charter school for a school safety project that is part of the public school’s or charter school’s comprehensive school safety plan, adopted under § 8237 of this title. This Fund is intended to provide funding in addition to the funding provided by the Delaware School Safety and Security Fund under § 4140 of Title 14.

(c) The Secretary shall award moneys from the Fund to a public school or charter school that applies for funding for a school safety project and meets the requirements under subsection (e) of this section.

(d) School safety projects include projects that enable a public school or a charter school to do any of the following:

(1) Install bullet resistant glass or film in the school’s entry areas.

(2) Screen each individual entering the school’s building.

(3) Screen each book bag or other container or package brought into the school’s building.

(4) Install key card entrance and exit devices to exterior doors of the school’s building.

(5) Install video cameras at entrances to, within, or on the property of the school.

(6) Complete other projects approved by the Secretary by regulation.

(e) For a public school or charter school to be eligible to receive an award of funds under this section, the public school or charter school must meet all of the following requirements:

(1) Complete an application and file it with the Secretary.

(2) Have at least 2 individuals on staff who provide security services to the school. The individuals must be dedicated full-time to providing security services and must carry a firearm.

(3) Have selected a vendor for the school safety project for which the school is seeking funding.

(4) Any other requirement adopted by the Secretary by regulation.

(f) The Secretary may adopt regulations and forms necessary to implement and enforce this section.

Section 2. The General Assembly appropriates $65 million from the General Fund in Fiscal Year 2023 to fund the Omnibus School Safety Fund created by this Act. Notwithstanding any other law of this State to the contrary, money in the Omnibus School Safety Fund that is unencumbered on June 30, 2023, or June 30 of a subsequent year, does not revert to the State’s General Fund.

SYNOPSIS

This Act creates the Omnibus School Safety Fund (“Fund”) to provide funding to public and charter schools for certain school safety projects.

This Act appropriates $65 million from the General Fund to the Fund in Fiscal Year 2023, which does not revert to the General Fund at the end of the Fiscal Year.

Author: Senator Lawson