Committee approves substitute to allow contracted "West Virginia guardians" on school grounds

A Senate committee on (date not specified) voted to approve a committee substitute for Senate Bill 4 50 that would allow county boards of education to contract with independent contractors called "West Virginia guardians" — retired law enforcement officers hired to provide public safety and security on public school grounds. The committee agreed to report the substitute to the full Senate with a recommendation that it pass and to first refer the bill to the Committee on Finance.

The committee substitute spells out qualifications and limits for guardians. Hank, counsel to the committee, said the substitute "provides that the West Virginia guardian is not law enforcement and has no authority…