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The Tennessee Conservative [By Kelly M. Jackson] –
Last week in the House K-12 Subcommittee, members rolled a bill to this week that will allow for schools to engage the services of retired law enforcement and military as SRO’s in schools who currently do not have one on the premises.
House Bill 1899 (HB1899), sponsored by Representative Tim Rudd (R-Murfreesboro-District 34), would authorize LEAs and public charter schools to hire “retired law enforcement officers who are retired from a federal, state, or local law enforcement agency and honorably discharged veterans of the United States armed forces” to be school resource officers.
More specific requirements in the language of the bill state that the retired law enforcement cannot be more than 7 years retired, and that the military person who applies must have been honorably discharged.
Also included in the language is a requirement that they be able to pass both a state and federal background check and have the ability to purchase and possess a firearm according to law.
The potential applicant will also be required to submit to and pass the same training and safety standards as those who are hired from the pool of law enforcement officers that are currently working for the county of origin for the school.
If the legislation passes, it could relieve SRO staffing issues that some school systems have faced. As The Tennessee Conservative previously reported, some districts were forced to provide officers with hours of overtime to patrol schools, meaning there were potentially not enough officers available to hire them for those positions full-time.
The proposed bill would allow them to select school resource officers from a pool of retired officers.
It would also leave school systems like Metro Nashville no excuse as to why they have yet to put officers in some of their schools.
Back in August, it was reported that Dr. Adrienne Battle, director of Metro Nashville Public Schools, was reluctant to place SROs in elementary schools, despite parents “pleading” for them.
To voice your support or opposition, contact the House K-12 Subcommittee members listed below prior to 3/12/2024:
House K-12 Subcommittee:
Kirk Haston (R-Chair) – rep.kirk.haston@capitol.tn.gov – (615) 741-0750
Gino Bulso (R) – rep.gino.bulso@capitol.tn.gov – (615) 741-6808
Chris Hurt (R) – rep.chris.hurt@capitol.tn.gov – (615) 741-2134
Bryan Richey (R) – rep.bryan.richey@capitol.tn.gov – (615) 741-3560
William Slater (R) – rep.william.slater@capitol.tn.gov – (615) 741-2534
Robert Stevens (R) – rep.robert.stevens@capitol.tn.gov – (615) 741-3830
Todd Warner (R) – rep.todd.warner@capitol.tn.gov – (615) 741-4170
Mark White (R) – rep.mark.white@capitol.tn.gov – (615) 741-4415
Sam McKenzie (D) – rep.sam.mckenzie@capitol.tn.gov – (615) 741-0768
rep.kirk.haston@capitol.tn.gov, rep.gino.bulso@capitol.tn.gov, rep.chris.hurt@capitol.tn.gov, rep.bryan.richey@capitol.tn.gov, rep.william.slater@capitol.tn.gov, rep.robert.stevens@capitol.tn.gov, rep.todd.warner@capitol.tn.gov, rep.mark.white@capitol.tn.gov, rep.sam.mckenzie@capitol.tn.gov
About the Author: Kelly Jackson is a recent escapee from corporate America, and a California refugee to Tennessee. Christ follower, Wife and Mom of three amazing teenagers. She has a BA in Comm from Point Loma Nazarene University, and has a background in law enforcement and human resources. Since the summer of 2020, she has spent any and all free time in the trenches with local grassroots orgs, including Mom’s for Liberty Williamson County and Tennessee Stands as a core member. Outspoken advocate for parents rights, medical freedom, and individual liberty. Kelly can be reached at kelly@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
