SB 7 — School safety; authorized sheriffs and chiefs of police to contract to provide school resource officers for nonpublic K-12 schools

SB7 INTRODUCEDENGROSSED SB7 FWPG5D-1NPKFTT8-2 By Senator Elliott RFD:

15-Dec-23 Page 0 FWPG5D-1SB7 08/22/2023Engrossed THR2 (L)THR4 2023-2652A 2BILL 4TO SYNOPSIS:BE ENTITLED AN ACT 9 Relating to school safety;

Underto existingauthorize law,certain apublic localentities boardto of education may contract with a localnonpublic chiefK-12 ofschool police or sheriff to employprovide school resource officers.officers in certain circumstances;

Thisand billto wouldrequire authorizepublic aentities sheriff or local chief of police to contractcharge withthe a nonpublic K-12 school for the provisionfull cost of employing any school resource officers.officer.

This bill would also require a sheriff or local chief of police to charge the nonpublic school for the full cost of employing any school resource officer.

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT Relating to school safety;

to authorize a sheriff or local chief of police to contract with a nonpublic K-12 school to provide school resource officers;

and to require a sheriff or local police chief to charge the nonpublic school for the full cost of employing any school resource officer.

(a)(a)(1) A sheriff and county commission or a local chief of police and city council may contract with a nonpublic school, including private, church, parochial, and religious schools, offering educational Page 1 SB7 INTRODUCED instruction in grades K-12, as well as home-schooling entities, to provide school resource officers, as defined in Section 16-1-44.1, Code of Alabama 1975.

(b)(2) ANo sheriffparty ormay localenter chiefinto of police providing a schoolcontract resource officer pursuant to subsectionsubdivision (a)(1) shallunless charge the nonpublicapplicable schoolgovernmental theentities fullalready salary,provide benefits,a andschool anyresource otherofficer coststo associatedeach withpublic theK-12 continuedschool employmentin ofthe eachentity's schooljurisdiction. resource officer.

(3) Any contract created pursuant to subdivision (1) shall be automatically void if the applicable government entities stop providing a school resource officer to any Page 1 SB7 Engrossed public K-12 school in the entity's jurisdiction.

(b) Any contract created pursuant to subsection (a) shall provide that the nonpublic school must fully reimburse the county commission or city council for the full salary, benefits, and all other costs associated with each school resource officer made available through the contract.

(c)(1) A nonpublic school shall provide proof of occurrence-based liability insurance, which shall be primary coverage, in an amount no less than, and with coverage consistent with, the liability insurance carried by the county commission or city council.

(2) The insurance policy shall name the county commission, the sheriff, and his or her deputies or the municipality, the chief of police, and his or her officers as additional insureds.

(4) If the nonpublic school fails to have the insurance coverage required by this subsection in full force during the entire term of the contract, the nonpublic school shall assume liability for all acts taken by a school resource officer within the line and scope of the private employment.

(d) Nothing in this section shall have the effect of waiving any immunity or statutory cap on damages to which a county commission, city council, sheriff, chief of police, or deputies or officers are entitled.

This act shall become effective June 1, 2024,2024. following its passage and approval by the Governor, or its otherwise becoming law.

Page 2 SB7 Engrossed Senat4 Read for the first time and referred ................06-FEB-24 to the Senate committee on County and Municipal Government Read for the second time and placed ................07-Feb-24 on the calendar:

0 amendments Read for the third time and passed ................27-Feb-24 as amended Yeas 34 Nays 0 Abstains 0 Patrick Harris, Secretary.

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