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Sen. Hurtado seeks pilot grants for violence-prevention and student wellness in Central Valley schools
Summary
SB 1181 would create a CDE/OES‑administered pilot grant program for evidence‑based violence prevention, student wellness, and school-safety initiatives; proponents framed it as prevention, while civil-rights groups warned it could increase policing in schools. The committee passed the bill to appropriations.
Senator Hurtado presented SB 1181 to establish a pilot grant program administered by the California Department of Education in consultation with the Office of Emergency Services to fund evidence-based violence prevention, student wellness and school-safety initiatives in Central Valley and similar schools.
In testimony, the author said the program is focused on prevention and local collaboration among districts, community organizations and behavioral-health providers. "This is what SB 1181 is really all about — giving educators and communities the tools they need to keep our students protected," the senator said.
Public witnesses, including Ashley De La Rosa and representatives of the ACLU and local advocacy groups, expressed respectful opposition or concern. Ashley De La Rosa warned the measure “continues to raise concerns by potentially diverting additional resources and funding to law enforcement and punitive surveillance,” and ACLU Cal Action urged stronger guardrails on coordination with fusion centers and limits on law‑enforcement entanglement. The author said she removed a controversial fusion‑center coordination provision and will continue to work with stakeholders. The committee recorded a motion to pass the bill as amended to appropriations.
