Gov. Beshear signs bill requiring school resource officers in all Ky. schools

FRANKFORT, Ky. (WAVE) - A bill requiring the assignment of school resource officers within all public K-12 schools in the commonwealth was signed into law on Friday.

House Bill 63, sponsored by Rep. Kevin Bratcher (R-Louisville), passed the House on Feb. 15 and was sent to the governor’s desk on March 30.

The bill would require school districts to assign SROs to each school by August 1, 2022. Districts who are unable to meet funding or staffing requirements for the bill would work with the state school security marshall to hire officers on a per campus basis until each school has an SRO assigned to it.

HB63 was originally drafted as a follow up to the School Safety and Resiliency Act passed during the 2020 General Assembly. The bill amends a stipulation in the act that would allow districts to forego SROs due to insufficient staffing and funds.

Kentucky’s largest school district, Jefferson County Public Schools, approved its own plan to have armed officers within the school district in January.

JCPS’ plan would split SRO roles into two, with school security officers working from outside schools unless a threat surfaced, and security administrators, who would remain unarmed and report directly to school principals.

A statement was provided on Friday evening by JCPS on the bill being signed into law:

“We have a good security plan and look forward to working with the state school security marshal as we continue to look for ways to keep our students and staff safe.”