Bill Text: MI SB1030 | 2017-2018 | 99th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Education; financing; grant programs and funding for school safety and student mental health programs; establish. Creates new act.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2018-05-29 - Referred To Committee On Education [SB1030 Detail]
Download: Michigan-2017-SB1030-Introduced.html
SENATE BILL No. 1030
May 29, 2018, Introduced by Senator O'BRIEN and referred to the Committee on Education.
A bill to create and operate school safety related grant
programs and student mental health related grant programs; to
prescribe the duties of certain state agencies and certain state
and local officials; to create certain funds; and to provide for
the distribution of money.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:
Sec. 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the
"Michigan school safety grant act".
Sec. 3. As used in this act:
(a) "Department" means the department of education.
(b) "Intermediate school district" means that term as defined
in section 4 of the revised school code, 1976 PA 451, MCL 380.4.
(c) "Public school" means that term as defined in section 5 of
the revised school code, 1976 PA 451, MCL 380.5.
(d) "Public school academy" means that term as defined in
section 5 of the revised school code, 1976 PA 451, MCL 380.5.
(e) "Qualified school mental health professional" means a
school counselor, school psychologist, or school social worker.
(f) "School building" means any of the following:
(i) A building intended to be used to provide instruction for
pupils, including an addition to an existing building.
(ii) A recreational or athletic structure or field intended to
be used by pupils.
(g) "School counselor" means an individual who meets the
requirements to serve in a counseling role in a public school under
section 1233 of the revised school code, 1976 PA 451, MCL 380.1233.
(h) "School district" means that term as defined in section 6
of the revised school code, 1976 PA 451, MCL 380.6.
(i) "School psychologist" means an individual who holds a
valid school psychologist certificate issued by the superintendent
of public instruction.
(j) "School resource officer" means an individual who is
licensed under the Michigan commission on law enforcement standards
act, 1965 PA 203, MCL 28.601 to 28.615, and who is responsible for
safety and crime prevention in a school.
(k) "School social worker" means an individual qualified to
serve in the role of a school social worker, as that role is
defined by the superintendent of public instruction.
(l) "Superintendent of public instruction" means the principal
executive officer of the department as provided under section 3 of
article VIII of the state constitution of 1963.
Sec. 5. (1) The department shall establish and administer a
school resource officer grant program to assist school districts,
intermediate school districts, and public school academies to
contract for new or additional school resource officers.
(2) All of the following apply to the grant program
established under this section:
(a) The department shall establish eligibility requirements
for a grant under this section.
(b) Grants awarded under this section are for 3 fiscal years
and all grant funds awarded for that period of 3 fiscal years must
be distributed in 1 payment at the beginning of the school year in
which the grant is first awarded. The amount awarded for the second
year of grant funding must be equal to 67% of the amount awarded
for the first year of grant funding. The amount awarded for the
third year of grant funding must be equal to 33% of the amount
awarded for the first year of grant funding.
(c) Beginning July 1, 2018, a school district, intermediate
school district, or public school academy may apply for a grant
under this section, in a form and manner prescribed by the
department. An application for a grant under this section must
include a description of how the applicant plans to at least
sustain the level of school resource officers achieved with the
grant funding after the 3-year grant period ends.
(d) A school district, intermediate school district, or public
school academy that receives a grant under this section shall use
grant funds to contract with a law enforcement agency for 1 or more
new or additional school resource officers. Grant funds awarded
under this section must not be used to fund a school resource
officer employed or contracted for by a school district,
intermediate school district, or public school academy before the
award of a grant under this section.
(e) The department shall award grants under this section in an
amount sufficient to contract for new or additional school resource
officers for 3 fiscal years.
(f) The department shall give priority to applicants for
grants under this section as follows:
(i) First, to ensure that each school district employs or
contracts for at least 1 school resource officer.
(ii) Second, to ensure that there are sufficient school
resource officers to provide services to isolated or remote schools
and school districts.
(iii) Third, to ensure that there is at least 1 school
resource officer in each public school.
(iv) Fourth, to improve the ratio of students to school
resource officers in each public school.
(g) The department shall also give priority to applications
for projects that involve multiple agencies working in partnership.
(3) The department may retain an amount not to exceed 1% of
each grant awarded under this section for the administration of the
grant program established under this section.
Sec. 7. (1) The department shall establish and administer a
school mental health professional grant program to assist public
schools to employ or contract for new or additional qualified
school mental health professionals.
(2) All of the following apply to the grant program
established under this section:
(a) The department shall establish eligibility requirements
for a grant under this section.
(b) Grants awarded under this section are for 3 fiscal years
and all grant funds awarded for that period of 3 fiscal years must
be distributed in 1 payment at the beginning of the school year in
which the grant is first awarded. The amount awarded for the second
year of grant funding must be equal to 67% of the amount awarded
for the first year of grant funding. The amount awarded for the
third year of grant funding must be equal to 33% of the amount
awarded for the first year of grant funding.
(c) Beginning July 1, 2018, a school district, intermediate
school district, or public school academy may apply for a grant
under this section, in a form and manner prescribed by the
department. An application for a grant under this section must
include a description of how the applicant plans to at least
sustain the level of qualified school mental health professionals
achieved with grant funding after the 3-year grant period ends. The
viability of this plan must be a factor in the selection of grant
recipients.
(d) A school district, intermediate school district, or public
school academy that receives a grant under this section shall use
grant funds to employ or contract for 1 or more new or additional
full- or part-time qualified school mental health professionals. A
grant under this section must not be used to fund a qualified
school mental health professional employed or contracted for by a
school district, intermediate school district, or public school
academy before the award of a grant under this section.
(e) The department shall award grants under this section in
amounts sufficient to reduce the ratio of students to school
counselors in each public school to not more than 250 to 1, to
reduce the ratio of students to school psychologists in each public
school to not more than 700 to 1, and to reduce the ratio of
students to school social workers in each public school to not more
than 400 to 1. The department shall give priority to applicants
that require the greatest financial assistance to achieve the
ratios described in this subdivision and to projects that involve
multiple agencies working in partnership.
(3) The department may retain an amount not to exceed 1% of
each grant awarded under this section for the administration of the
grant program established under this section.
Sec. 9. (1) The department shall establish and administer a
school building security grant program to improve the safety and
security of school buildings, students, and staff through the
purchase of technology, building upgrades, and equipment and by
conducting annual school building safety assessments.
(2) All of the following apply to the grant program
established under this section:
(a) The department shall establish eligibility requirements
for a grant under this section.
(b) Beginning July 1, 2018, a school district, intermediate
school district, or public school academy may apply for a grant
under this section, in a form and manner prescribed by the
department.
(c) A school district, intermediate school district, or public
school academy that receives a grant under this section shall use
grant funds for school building upgrades, for the purchase of
equipment and technology to improve school safety, and for
conducting annual assessments of school buildings and school
grounds to identify ways to improve school security. Grant funds
may also be used for expenses including, at least, eligible
expenditures under the grant program created under section 901 of
article XVI of 2016 PA 268, as determined by the department.
(d) The department shall give priority to applications for
projects that involve multiple agencies working in partnership,
including, but not limited to, law enforcement and mental health
agencies. The department shall also give priority to applicants
that did not previously receive a grant from the department of
state police under the competitive school safety grant program and
to proposals that seek to secure exterior access points of school
buildings.
(3) The department may retain an amount not to exceed 1% of
each grant awarded under this section for the administration of the
grant program established under this section.
Sec. 11. (1) The Michigan school safety grant fund is created
as a separate restricted account within the state treasury.
(2) The state treasurer may receive money or other assets from
any source for deposit into the Michigan school safety grant fund.
The state treasurer shall direct the investment of the Michigan
school safety grant fund. The state treasurer shall credit to the
Michigan school safety grant fund interest and earnings from the
fund.
(3) Money available in the Michigan school safety grant fund
may only be expended, upon appropriation by the legislature, for
the purpose of making grants under this act.
(4) Money in the Michigan school safety grant fund at the
close of the fiscal year shall remain in the Michigan school safety
grant fund and shall not lapse to the general fund. The department
of treasury shall be the administrator of the Michigan school
safety grant fund for auditing purposes.
(5) Money in the Michigan school safety grant fund shall be
allocated as follows:
(a) No more than 40% for grants under section 5.
(b) No more than 40% for grants under section 7.
(c) No more than 20% for grants under section 9.
Enacting section 1. This act takes effect 90 days after the
date it is enacted into law.
