Senate approves bill allowing public school resource officers to be contracted to private schools if public coverage exists

The Alabama Senate passed Senate Bill 4, which allows local governmental entities to enter contracts with private schools to provide post‑certified school resource officers (SROs) under stated conditions.

Sponsor Senator Clay Elliott told the chamber the measure is permissive: local municipalities and counties may contract with nonpublic schools to assign certified SROs to those campuses only if the private school pays the full cost — including benefits — and provides full liability insurance. The bill also requires that SRO coverage be available at every public school in the affected public school system before the municipality or county may extend a contract to a private school.

Senator Elliott emphasized the bill does not waive any statutory liability caps and stated the private school is responsible for the cost and liability coverage. The bill passed the Senate on recorded roll call with a tally announced as 30-0.

Why it matters: Supporters said it creates a voluntary mechanism to extend campus safety resources to private schools while protecting public entities from assuming additional cost or liability. Critics did not offer recorded opposition during final passage, though floor time included routine questions and an exchange about the bill’s guardrails.

What’s next: The bill will move to the next legislative stage. Local governments considering contracts would need to budget for full cost recovery and to obtain liability insurance before entering agreements.