SB 603 - This act allows school districts to designate elementary or secondary school teachers or administrators as school protection officers. School protection officers may carry pepper spray in any school in the district and may use the pepper spray to the extent necessary to protect persons or property. This act provides that such use will be considered reasonable force and will not be considered child abuse. In order to become a school protection officer, the teacher or administrator must request the designation from the superintendent of the school district and submit a certificate showing completion of a school protection officer training program.
This act requires the Department of Public Safety's Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission to establish the standards for training school protection officers and for school protection officer training instructors, training centers, and training programs.
In order to participate in a school protection officer training center or program, the training center must check the criminal history of the person.
This provision is similar to a provision of the truly agreed to and finally passed CCS/HCS/SB 656 (2014), the perfected SCS/SB 613, CCS2/SS/SCS/HCS/HB 1439 (2014), SB 744 (2014), HB 1474 (2014), HB 436 (2013), and SB 352 (2013).
MEGHAN LUECKE