Standards of Quality; full-time uniformed school resource officer. (HB1730)

Introduced By

Del. Mark Cole (R-Fredericksburg)

Progress

Introduced
Passed Committee
Passed House
Passed Senate
Signed by Governor
Became Law

Description

Standards of Quality; full-time uniformed school resource officer. Requires each local school board to establish a collaborative agreement with local law-enforcement agencies to employ one full-time uniformed school resource officer in every school in the local school division. Read the Bill »

Outcome

Bill Has Failed

History

DateAction
01/08/2013Committee
01/08/2013Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/09/13 13103100D
01/08/2013Referred to Committee on Education
01/11/2013Assigned Education sub: Standards Of Quality
01/14/2013Impact statement from DPB (HB1730)
01/21/2013Impact statement from DHCD (HB1730)
01/29/2013Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendment(s) (6-Y 3-N)
01/29/2013Subcommittee recommends referring to Committee on Appropriations
01/30/2013Reported from Education (19-Y 2-N) (see vote tally)
01/30/2013Referred to Committee on Appropriations
01/31/2013Assigned App. sub: Public Safety
01/31/2013Subcommittee recommends laying on the table
02/05/2013Left in Appropriations

Comments

ACLU-VA Students' Rights, tracking this bill in Photosynthesis, notes:

The ACLU of Virginia is monitoring this bill, which requires each local school board to establish a collaborative agreement with local law-enforcement agencies to employ one full-time uniformed school resource officer in every school in the local school division. The over-policing of schools is a serious problem in America. Many school police deal with relatively minor misbehaviors, like drawing on desks, outbursts in the classroom, or minor fights. These are school discipline matters, not police matters. Scaling up police presence in schools can have unintended consequences and can damage learning environments. We should not respond to the critical but complicated question of how to protect students by rushing to put police in schools without understanding the serious negative consequences they can have. Further, the impact of over-policing is especially harsh on youth of color. If police are stationed in schools, they must be responsible only for serious criminal law matters, not for matters that may be minor violations best handled by schools as discipline issues. School-based police must be adequately trained to work with youth, and there must be transparency in and accountability for their activities. Law enforcement intervention (including arrest, citation, summons, etc.) ought to be a last resort.

C38 writes:

To the ACLU-VA Students' Rights. Last time I checked, a minor fight was still considered assault & battery by definition of the Code of Virginia. Also law enforcement is placed in school not only for criminal matters but as an added resource for school staff and students. Leave it to you all to turn something upside down and make this about race and over-policing.