| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to public school safety; amending s. |
| 3 | 1006.12, F.S.; requiring district school boards to |
| 4 | establish school resource officer programs; requiring a |
| 5 | school resource officer or school safety officer to be |
| 6 | assigned full-time to each school; providing an effective |
| 7 | date. |
| 8 |
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| 9 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 10 |
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| 11 | Section 1. Section 1006.12, Florida Statutes, is amended |
| 12 | to read: |
| 13 | 1006.12 School resource officers and school safety |
| 14 | officers.-- |
| 15 | (1) District school boards shall may establish school |
| 16 | resource officer programs for the protection and safety of |
| 17 | students, school personnel, and school property, through a |
| 18 | cooperative agreement with law enforcement agencies or in |
| 19 | accordance with subsection (2). The program shall provide for a |
| 20 | school resource officer or a school safety officer to be |
| 21 | assigned full-time to each public school in the school district. |
| 22 | (a) School resource officers shall be certified law |
| 23 | enforcement officers, as defined in s. 943.10(1), who are |
| 24 | employed by a law enforcement agency as defined in s. 943.10(4). |
| 25 | The powers and duties of a law enforcement officer shall |
| 26 | continue throughout the employee's tenure as a school resource |
| 27 | officer. |
| 28 | (b) School resource officers shall abide by district |
| 29 | school board policies and shall consult with and coordinate |
| 30 | activities through the school principal, but shall be |
| 31 | responsible to the law enforcement agency in all matters |
| 32 | relating to employment, subject to agreements between a district |
| 33 | school board and a law enforcement agency. Activities conducted |
| 34 | by the school resource officer which are part of the regular |
| 35 | instructional program of the school shall be under the direction |
| 36 | of the school principal. |
| 37 | (2)(a) School safety officers shall be law enforcement |
| 38 | officers, as defined in s. 943.10(1), certified under the |
| 39 | provisions of chapter 943 and employed by either a law |
| 40 | enforcement agency or by the district school board. If the |
| 41 | officer is employed by the district school board, the district |
| 42 | school board is the employing agency for purposes of chapter |
| 43 | 943, and must comply with the provisions of that chapter. |
| 44 | (b) A district school board may commission one or more |
| 45 | school safety officers for the protection and safety of school |
| 46 | personnel, property, and students within the school district. |
| 47 | The district school superintendent may recommend and the |
| 48 | district school board may appoint one or more school safety |
| 49 | officers. |
| 50 | (b)(c) A school safety officer has and shall exercise the |
| 51 | power to make arrests for violations of law on district school |
| 52 | board property and to arrest persons, whether on or off such |
| 53 | property, who violate any law on such property under the same |
| 54 | conditions that deputy sheriffs are authorized to make arrests. |
| 55 | A school safety officer has the authority to carry weapons when |
| 56 | performing his or her official duties. |
| 57 | (c)(d) A district school board may enter into mutual aid |
| 58 | agreements with one or more law enforcement agencies as provided |
| 59 | in chapter 23. A school safety officer's salary may be paid |
| 60 | jointly by the district school board and the law enforcement |
| 61 | agency, as mutually agreed to. |
| 62 | Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2005. |