On January 26, 2015 Robin Clark Eilenberg, MACo Policy Analyst, testified to the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee to support, with amendments, SB 83, Public Safety – School Safety Enforcement Fund.

This bill would expand the purposes of an existing fund for school bus safety to provide grant funding for any purpose that enhances school safety.

Currently, local law enforcement agencies and Maryland State Police barracks receive this grant funding for school bus safety enforcement programs.

In addition to expanding the purposes of the fund, this bill would  open the grant to applications from school boards and would lift the existing $35,000 cap on individual grant applications.

MACo’s testimony states,

As partners in K-12 education who are also aware of the risks facing today’s school children, county governments support additional funding for school safety. The MACo amendment seeks to ensure that the fund will benefit students from all of the Maryland counties.

For more on MACo 2016 legislation, visit the Legislative Database.