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--- version:Edition 1+++ version:Filed@@ -1,14 +1,13 @@GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINASESSION 2025-H 1-HOUSE BILL 989+H D+HOUSE BILL DRH30384-NDa-77AShort Title: Build Safer Communities and Schools Act. (Public)-Sponsors: Representatives Clark, Logan, F. Jackson, and Budd (Primary Sponsors).-For a complete list of sponsors, refer to the North Carolina General Assembly web site.-Referred to: Appropriations, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House-April 14, 2025-*H989-v-1*+Sponsors: Representative Clark.+Referred to:++*DRH30384-NDa-77A*A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1AN ACT TO CODIFY SCHOOL SAFETY GRANTS. 2The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 3@@ -25,7 +24,7 @@(2) School health support personnel. – School nurses, school counselors, school 14psychologists, and school social workers. 15(b) Program; Purpose. – The Executive Director of the Center for Safer Schools shall 16-establish the School Safety Grants Program (Program). To the exte nt funds are made available 17+establish the School Safety Grants Program (Program). To the extent funds are made available 17for the Program, its purpose shall be to improve safety in public school units by providing grants 18for (i) services for students in crisis, (ii) school safety training, and (iii) safety equipment in 19schools. 20@@ -35,136 +34,139 @@enforcement agency, of the need for improving school safety within the public school unit that 24would receive the funding or services. The application shall identify current and ongoing needs 25and estimated costs associated with those needs. 26-(d) Criteria and Gu idelines. – The Executive Director of the Center for Safer Schools 27+(d) Criteria and Guidelines. – The Executive Director of the Center for Safer Schools 27shall develop criteria and guidelines for the administration and use of the grants pursuant to this 28section, including any documentation required to be submitted by applicants. In assessing grant 29-applications, the Executive Director of the Center for Safe r Schools shall consider at least the 30+applications, the Executive Director of the Center for Safer Schools shall consider at least the 30following factors: 31(1) The level of resources available to the public school unit that would receive 32the funding. 33(2) Whether the public school unit has received other grants for school safety. 34+(3) The overall impact on student safety in the public school unit if the identified 35+needs are funded. 36+H.B. 989+Apr 10, 2025+HOUSE PRINCIPAL CLERKGeneral Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025-Page 2 House Bill 989-First Edition-(3) The overall impact on student safety in the public school unit if the identified 1-needs are funded. 2-(e) Grants for Students in Crisis. – Of the funds appropriated to the State Bureau of 3-Investigation for the grants provided in this subsection, the Executive Director of the Center for 4-Safer Schools, in consultation with the Department of Health and Human Services, shall award 5-grants to public school units to contract with community partners to provide or pay for the 6-provision of any of the following crisis services: 7-(1) Crisis r espite services for parents or guardians of an individual student to 8-prevent more intensive or costly levels of care. 9-(2) Training and expanded services for therapeutic foster care families and 10-licensed child placement agencies that provide services to stu dents who (i) 11-need support to manage their health, welfare, and safety and (ii) have any of 12-the following: 13-a. Cognitive or behavioral problems. 14-b. Developmental delays. 15-c. Aggressive behavior. 16-(3) Evidence-based therapy services aligned with targeted training for students 17-and their parents or guardians, including any of the following: 18-a. Parent-child interaction therapy. 19-b. Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy. 20-c. Dialectical behavior therapy. 21-d. Child-parent psychotherapy. 22-(4) Any other crisis service, including peer -to-peer mentoring, that is likely to 23-increase school safety. Of the funds appropriated to the Bureau for grants 24-pursuant to this subsection, the Executive Director of the Center for Safer 25-Schools shall not use more than three hundre d fifty thousand dollars 26-($350,000) per fiscal year for the services identified in this subsection. 27-(f) Grants for Training to Increase School Safety. – Of the funds appropriated to the State 28-Bureau of Investigation for the grant provided in this subsection , the Executive Director of the 29-Center for Safer Schools , in consultation with the Department of Health and Human Services, 30-shall award grants to public school units to contract with community partners to address s chool 31-safety by providing training to help students develop healthy responses to trauma and stress. The 32-training shall be targeted and evidence-based and shall include any of the following services: 33-(1) Counseling on Access to Lethal Means (CALM) training for school health 34-support personnel, local first responders, and teachers on the topics of suicide 35-prevention and reducing access by students to lethal means. 36-(2) Training for school health support personnel on comprehensive and 37-evidence-based clinical treatments for students and their parents or guardians, 38-including any of the following: 39-a. Parent-child interaction therapy. 40-b. Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy. 41-c. Behavioral therapy. 42-d. Dialectical behavior therapy. 43-e. Child-parent psychotherapy. 44-(3) Training for students and school employees on community resilience models 45-to improve understanding and responses to trauma and significant stress. 46-(4) Training for schoo l health support personnel on Modular Approach to 47-Therapy for Children with Anxiet y, Depression, Trauma, or Conduct 48-problems (MATCH-ADTC), including any of the following components: 49-a. Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy. 50-b. Parent and student coping skills. 51+Page 2 DRH30384-NDa-77A+(e) Grants for Students in Crisis. – Of the funds appropriated to the State Bureau of 1+Investigation for the grants provided in this subsection, the Executive Director of the Center for 2+Safer Schools, in consultation with the Department of Health and Human Services, shall award 3+grants to public school units to contract with community partners to provide or pay for the 4+provision of any of the following crisis services: 5+(1) Crisis respite services for parents or guardians of an individual student to 6+prevent more intensive or costly levels of care. 7+(2) Training and expanded services for therapeutic foster care families and 8+licensed child placement agencies that provide services to students who (i) 9+need support to manage their health, welfare, and safety and (ii) have any of 10+the following: 11+a. Cognitive or behavioral problems. 12+b. Developmental delays. 13+c. Aggressive behavior. 14+(3) Evidence-based therapy services aligned with targeted training for students 15+and their parents or guardians, including any of the following: 16+a. Parent-child interaction therapy. 17+b. Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy. 18+c. Dialectical behavior therapy. 19+d. Child-parent psychotherapy. 20+(4) Any other crisis service, including peer -to-peer mentoring, that is likely to 21+increase school safety. Of the funds appropriated to the Bureau for grants 22+pursuant to this subsection, the Executive Director of the Center for Safer 23+Schools shall not use more than three hundred fifty thousand dollars 24+($350,000) per fiscal year for the services identified in this subsection. 25+(f) Grants for Training to Increase School Safety. – Of the funds appropriated to the State 26+Bureau of Investigation for the grant provided in this subsection , the Executive Director of the 27+Center for Safer Schools , in consultation with the Department of Health and Human Services, 28+shall award grants to public school units to contract with community partners to address school 29+safety by providing training to help students develop healthy responses to trauma and stress. The 30+training shall be targeted and evidence-based and shall include any of the following services: 31+(1) Counseling on Access to Lethal Means (CALM) training for school health 32+support personnel, local first responders, and teachers on the topics of suicide 33+prevention and reducing access by students to lethal means. 34+(2) Training for school health support personnel on comprehensive and 35+evidence-based clinical treatments for students and their parents or guardians, 36+including any of the following: 37+a. Parent-child interaction therapy. 38+b. Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy. 39+c. Behavioral therapy. 40+d. Dialectical behavior therapy. 41+e. Child-parent psychotherapy. 42+(3) Training for students and school employees on community resilience models 43+to improve understanding and responses to trauma and significant stress. 44+(4) Training for schoo l health support personnel on Modular Approach to 45+Therapy for Children with Anxiety, Depression, Trauma, or Conduct 46+problems (MATCH-ADTC), including any of the following components: 47+a. Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy. 48+b. Parent and student coping skills. 49+c. Problem solving. 50+d. Safety planning. 51General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025-House Bill 989-First Edition Page 3-c. Problem solving. 1-d. Safety planning. 2-(5) Any other training, includi ng the training on the facilitation of peer -to-peer 3-mentoring, that is likely to increase school safety. Of the funds appropriated 4-to the Bureau for grants pursuant to this subsection, the Executive Director of 5-the Center for Safer Schools shall use no more than three hu ndred fifty 6-thousand dollars ($350,000) per fiscal year for the services identified in this 7-subsection. 8-(g) Grants for S afety Equipment . – Of the funds appropriated to the State Bureau of 9-Investigation for the grant provided in this subsection , the Executive Director of the Center for 10-Safer Schools shall award grants to public school units for (i) the purchase of safety equipment 11-for school buildings and (ii) training associated with the use of safety e quipment purchased 12-pursuant to this subsection. Notwithstanding G.S. 115C-218.105(b), charter schools may receive 13-grants for school safety equipment pursuant to this subsection. In assessing grant applications, 14-the Executive Director of the Center for Safer Schools shall prioritize applications for the 15-purchase of any of the following school safety equipment: 16-(1) Exterior doors with push bars. 17-(2) Erected vehicle barriers. 18-(3) Security systems that monitor and record school entrances, exits, and 19-hallways. 20-(4) Campus-wide active shooter alarm systems that are separated from fire 21-alarms. 22-(5) Two-way radio systems. 23-(6) Perimeter security fencing. 24-(7) Bullet-resistant glass or film for school entrances. 25-(8) Door-locking systems. 26-(h) Supplement Not Supplant. – Grants provided to public school units or community 27-partners pursuant to the Program shall be used to supplement and not to supplant State or 28-non-State funds already provided for these services. 29-(i) Administrative Costs. – Of the funds appropriated to the State Bureau of Investigation 30-for the grants provided pursuant to this section, the Executive Director of the Center for Safer 31-Schools may retain a total of up to one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) per fiscal year for 32-administrative costs associated with the Program. 33-(j) Disbursement. – The Executive Director of the Center for Safer Schools may enter 34-into a memorandum of understanding with the Department of Public Instruction to disburse 35-grants awarded under this section. 36-(k) Report. – No later than April 1 of each fiscal year in which funds are awarded pursuant 37-to the Program, the Executive Director of the Center for Safer Schools shall report on the Program 38-to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee, the Joint Leg islative Oversight 39-Committee on Health and Human Services, the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Justice 40-and Public Safety, the Joint Legislative Commission on Governmental Operations, the Senate 41-Appropriations/Base Budget Committee, the House Committee on Appropriations, and the Fiscal 42-Research Division. The report shall include at least the following information: 43-(1) The identity of each public school unit and community partner that received 44-grant funds through the Program. 45-(2) The amount of fundin g received by each entity identified pursuant to 46-subdivision (1) of this subsection. 47-(3) The services, training, and equipment purchased with grant funds by each 48-entity that received a grant. 49-(4) Recommendations for the implementation of additional effecti ve school 50-safety measures." 51+DRH30384-NDa-77A Page 3+(5) Any other training, including the training on the facilitation of peer -to-peer 1+mentoring, that is likely to increase school safety. Of the funds appropriated 2+to the Bureau for grants pursuant to this subsection, the Executive Director of 3+the Center for Safer Schools shall use no more than three hu ndred fifty 4+thousand dollars ($350,000) per fiscal year for the services identified in this 5+subsection. 6+(g) Grants for S afety Equipment . – Of the funds appropriated to the State Bureau of 7+Investigation for the grant provided in this subsection , the Executive Director of the Center for 8+Safer Schools shall award grants to public school units for (i) the purchase of safety equipment 9+for school buildings and (ii) training associated with the use of safety equipment purchased 10+pursuant to this subsection. Notwithstanding G.S. 115C-218.105(b), charter schools may receive 11+grants for school safety equipment pursuant to this subsection. In assessing grant applications, 12+the Executive Director of the Center for Safer Schools shall prioritize applications for the 13+purchase of any of the following school safety equipment: 14+(1) Exterior doors with push bars. 15+(2) Erected vehicle barriers. 16+(3) Security systems that monitor and record school entrances, exits, and 17+hallways. 18+(4) Campus-wide active shooter alarm systems that are separated from fire 19+alarms. 20+(5) Two-way radio systems. 21+(6) Perimeter security fencing. 22+(7) Bullet-resistant glass or film for school entrances. 23+(8) Door-locking systems. 24+(h) Supplement Not Supplant. – Grants provided to public school units or community 25+partners pursuant to the Program shall be used to supplement and not to supplant State or 26+non-State funds already provided for these services. 27+(i) Administrative Costs. – Of the funds appropriated to the State Bureau of Investigation 28+for the grants provided pursuant to this section, the Executive Director of the Center for Safer 29+Schools may retain a total of up to one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) per fiscal year for 30+administrative costs associated with the Program. 31+(j) Disbursement. – The Executive Director of the Center for Safer Schools may enter 32+into a memorandum of understanding with the Department of Public Instruction to disburse 33+grants awarded under this section. 34+(k) Report. – No later than April 1 of each fiscal year in which funds are awarded pursuant 35+to the Program, the Executive Director of the Center for Safer Schools shall report on the Program 36+to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee, the Joint Legislative Oversight 37+Committee on Health and Human Services, the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Justice 38+and Public Safety, the Joint Legislative Commission on Governmental Operations, the Senate 39+Appropriations/Base Budget Committee, the House Committee on Appropriations, and the Fiscal 40+Research Division. The report shall include at least the following information: 41+(1) The identity of each public school unit and community partner that received 42+grant funds through the Program. 43+(2) The amount of funding received by each entity identified pursuant to 44+subdivision (1) of this subsection. 45+(3) The services, training, and equipment purchased with grant funds by each 46+entity that received a grant. 47+(4) Recommendations for the implementation of additional effective school 48+safety measures." 49+SECTION 1.(b) The Executive Director of the Center for Safer Schools shall 50+establish the School Safety Grants Program as directed by G.S.143B-1209.61, as enacted by this 51General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025-Page 4 House Bill 989-First Edition-SECTION 1.(b) The Executive Director of the Center for Safer Schools shall 1-establish the School Safety Grants Program as directed by G.S.143B-1209.61, as enacted by this 2-section, and have the application for the Program availab le to public school units no later than 3-August 1, 2025. 4-SECTION 1.(c) There is appropriated from the ARPA Temporary Savings Fund to 5-the State Bureau of Investigation the sum of twenty million dollars ($20,000,000) in nonrecurring 6-funds for each year of the 2025-2027 fiscal biennium to fund the School Safety Grants Program 7-under G.S. 143B-1209.61, as enacted by this section. It is the intent of the General Assembly to 8-fund the Program with recurring funds beginning with the 2027-2029 fiscal biennium. 9-SECTION 1.(d) This section becomes effective July 1, 2025. 10- 11-SEVERABILITY CLAUSE AND EFFECTIVE DATE 12-SECTION 2.(a) If any section or provision of this act is declared unconstitutional or 13-invalid by the courts, it does not affect the validity of this act as a whole or any portion other than 14-the portion declared to be unconstitutional or invalid. 15-SECTION 2.(b) Except as otherwise provided, this act is effective when it becomes 16-law. 17+Page 4 DRH30384-NDa-77A+section, and have the application for the Program available to public school units no later than 1+August 1, 2025. 2+SECTION 1.(c) There is appropriated from the ARPA Temporary Savings Fund to 3+the State Bureau of Investigation the sum of twenty million dollars ($20,000,000) in nonrecurring 4+funds for each year of the 2025-2027 fiscal biennium to fund the School Safety Grants Program 5+under G.S. 143B-1209.61, as enacted by this section. It is the intent of the General Assembly to 6+fund the Program with recurring funds beginning with the 2027-2029 fiscal biennium. 7+SECTION 1.(d) This section becomes effective July 1, 2025. 8+ 9+SEVERABILITY CLAUSE AND EFFECTIVE DATE 10+SECTION 2.(a) If any section or provision of this act is declared unconstitutional or 11+invalid by the courts, it does not affect the validity of this act as a whole or any portion other than 12+the portion declared to be unconstitutional or invalid. 13+SECTION 2.(b) Except as otherwise provided, this act is effective when it becomes 14+law. 15
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