S508 - 2023 Budget Technical/Other Corrections. (SL 2024-1)

Overview: Section 2.8A of S.L. 2024-1 makes various clarifications regarding school resource officers. It does the following:

• Requires that initial and in-service educational and training standards for school resource officers be established by the North Carolina Criminal Justice Education and Training Standards Commission and the North Carolina Sheriffs' Education and Training Standards Commission, in consultation with the Center for Safer Schools and the Department of Health and Human Services.
• Defines "school" as a public school within a public school unit or nonpublic school as defined in Article 39 of Chapter 115C of the General Statutes.
• Defines "school resource officer" as any law enforcement officer assigned to one or more schools at least 20 hours per week for more than 12 weeks per calendar year, to assist with all of the following:
• School safety and security.
• Emergency preparedness and response.
• Any additional responsibilities related to school safety or security assigned by the officer's employer while the officer is acting as a school resource officer.
• Mandates that all school resource officers must comply with the training requirements.

The section further provides that police chiefs of municipalities and sheriffs of counties can enter into agreements to provide school resource officers to schools. If the agreement is with a nonpublic school, the nonpublic school must provide funds at least equal to the compensation, benefits, and related expenses of any school resource officer assigned to the school. The governing board receiving funds from a nonpublic school pursuant to such an agreement must appropriate the funds to the police chief or sheriff for school resource officers.

This section became effective May 15, 2024, and applies to agreements entered into or renewed on or after that date.