Committee advances Safe Passage training bill to standardize de‑escalation training and require school coordination

The Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety voted June 11 to print and report Bill 26‑204, the Safe Passage Training and School Engagement Amendment Act of 2025, to the full Council after a unanimous voice vote.

The bill seeks to standardize and expand training for Safe Passage ambassadors — the program that provides school‑route safety support — by requiring monthly de‑escalation and conflict‑resolution training and by requiring training on cultural competency, mental health, neurodivergence and recognizing signs of abuse or neglect. The measure also requires at least two meetings per year between Safe Passage ambassadors and relevant school leadership to improve coordination and information‑sharing about student and school community needs.

Committee discussion

Chairwoman Brooke Pinto said the intent is to equip ambassadors with tools to engage positively with students and to foster routine coordination between ambassadors and school communities. She noted the program previously sat in the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Education and was transferred to the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice, and that the bill seeks to preserve and enhance coordination with schools.

Councilmember Bonds supported the measure but urged more frequent school coordination, saying twice yearly meetings are insufficient and suggesting monthly conversations. Pinto and other committee members noted the bill already includes monthly training requirements for de‑escalation while the biannual meetings referenced are for training coordination and school engagement on student needs.

Vote and next steps

Pinto moved to print and report Bill 26‑204 with leave for staff to make technical edits. The committee approved the motion unanimously by voice vote. Pinto said she would bring the measures to full Council next week.