York County News

The Pennsylvania Senate has approved a groundbreaking bill sponsored by Senator Mike Regan (R-Cumberland/York) that mandates each school entity in the state to have at least one armed school security personnel. The legislation, known as Senate Bill 907, will now move to the House of Representatives for consideration.

Regan, who has been advocating for enhanced school security for the past decade, expressed his commitment to protecting students. He stated, "School security has been a top priority for me since coming to the legislature 10 years ago... And each legislative session, I have advocated for doing more to secure our kids in schools."

The bill requires all school entities, including school districts, intermediate units, area career and technical schools, charter schools, and private residential rehabilitative institutions, to have one armed school security personnel. Previously, the legislation aimed to have armed security in every school building by the 2027-2028 school year. However, the amended version of the bill focuses on ensuring that each school entity has at least one armed security personnel.

Regan emphasized the importance of compromise in the legislative process and acknowledged the concerns raised about cost and manpower. He also highlighted two key aspects of the bill: a waiver process for schools that make a good-faith effort but cannot fulfill the requirement, and a reporting provision to ensure accurate data regarding the types of school security personnel and their training.

The senator also drew attention to the inaccurate data maintained by the Department of Education regarding school security personnel. He explained, "This new reporting requirement will provide a clearer picture of how many schools already have armed security, so that we can build off of Senate Bill 907 and know what it will take to ultimately have an armed officer in every school building."

Regan further emphasized the need to prioritize student safety, comparing the security measures in place for legislators and government officials to the lack of protections provided to students. He stated, "Even though we all choose to run for office and take on these jobs voluntarily, we have to go through multiple security checkpoints to get into the Capitol. Meanwhile, we have made it the law that students must attend school but don't give them the same protections inside their school buildings, which are getting more and more dangerous each and every year."

With the Senate passage of the bill, Regan called on members of the House and the Governor to act swiftly in order to protect vulnerable students. He urged his colleagues in the House to prioritize the safety of students and pass this important piece of legislation. Addressing the Governor, Regan said, "to the tune of 15 million in taxpayer dollars per year – to sign the bill into law."

The legislation is seen as a significant step towards strengthening school security in Pennsylvania. By mandating armed school security personnel, the bill aims to provide stronger protection for students and create a safer learning environment. As the bill moves to the House of Representatives, the focus now shifts to ensuring the swift passage and implementation of this crucial legislation.

For additional details, please follow this link: https://senatorregan.com/2023/12/13/pa-senate-advances-landmark-bill-sen-mike-regans-legislation-mandates-armed-school-security-for-stronger-protection/