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Senate Education Committee adopts technical and security amendments to school safety bill, leaves funding question unresolved
Summary
The committee adopted two technical and security-focused amendments to Senate Bill 290 requiring exterior secure master key boxes and operable master keys; members debated but tabled an amendment to add $5 million in Attorney General grant funding, with lawmakers warning the mandate could become unfunded if grant timing and priorities do not align.
Chair Brenner brought Senate Bill 290 before the Senate Education Committee for its fourth hearing and the panel adopted two amendments aimed at technical corrections and school safety measures. Vice Chair Blessing moved to adopt Amendment 1628, described as an LSC technical fix. The committee then approved Amendment 2187, which "requires public and chartered non public schools to purchase and install" exterior secure master key boxes and to ensure master external and internal keys and access cards are "in current operable form," Blessing said.
Ranking Member Ingram offered Amendment 2193 to increase the appropriation for school safety training grants administered by the Attorney General's office by $5,000,000, saying the funds could be used to help districts buy and install the master key boxes. "Budget office had indicated that over $9,700,000 has been spent," Ingram said, arguing that without added appropriations the requirement could amount to an unfunded mandate for school districts.
Chair Brenner urged caution about adding the appropriation immediately, noting the Attorney General’s grant fund is expected to reopen in the next fiscal year and that additional adjustments will likely be made as the bill moves through the House. The chair recommended tabling the amendment; Vice Chair Blessing moved to table and the clerk called the roll. The roll-call responses recorded in the transcript included Blessing (yes), Virginia Ramirez (no), Alex (yes), Thomas (yes) and Jones (no). Brenner then authorized legislative service commission staff to harmonize changes into a substitute bill and left the final voting rolls open until the end of the hearing.
Committee members pressed the procedural and fiscal implications of the requirement. Ingram warned that current AG grant dollars "have already been used up through the end of this particular year and therefore despite the fact that it's going to re-up in June ... then it becomes an unfunded mandate as far as those school districts are concerned." Chair Brenner noted that a single master-key box costs roughly $1,000 and said local districts may be able to find funds, but he also acknowledged timing and appropriation uncertainties.
The committee moved to favorably report a substitute version of the bill to the committee on Rules and Reference while leaving the voting rolls open for completion. The chair indicated further adjustments may be necessary as the bill advances through the legislative process.
The committee recorded the amendments and the tabling motion in the hearing record. Further action, including final roll-call tallies on the substitute report, was left open by the chair.
