School safety bills approved in House

The Arkansas House approved a pair of bills focused on school safety Wednesday, both of which stem from recommendations from the Arkansas School Safety Commission.

House Bill 1510, by Rep. Jamie Scott, D-North Little Rock, requires school resource officers who are present during school hours to complete specialized training, and requires school boards to adopt a memorandum of understanding with local law enforcement to establish financial responsibility, chain of command, selection, evaluation and further training requirements for school resource officers.

The memorandum of understanding will promote coordination between the district and the law enforcement community, Scott said. All stakeholders agreed on the language of the bill, she added.

HB1510 passed 83-9, with two lawmakers voting present.

House Bill 1549 by Rep. Bruce Cozart, R-Hot Springs, amends several provisions of the state’s 2015 School Safety Act, including setting up a 16-person school safety commission with members appointed by Gov. Asa Hutchinson.

Cheryl May, an instructor with the Criminal Justice Institute in Little Rock who served as chairwoman of the Arkansas School Safety Commission, said in a committee meeting Tuesday that the measures stem from proposals the panel, which was formed in the aftermath of the February 2018 school shooting in Parkland, Fla., had made.

HB1549 passed 92-1.

— Rachel Herzog