New York Senate Bill S04814

New York 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/13/25
• Refer: 2/13/25
• Refer: 1/7/26

Caption

Relates to the provision of grants to eligible school districts to cover the costs of school resource officers employed at schools in such districts; authorizes boards of cooperative educational services to enter into contracts with local police entities to provide school resource officers.

Summary

S04814 would create a new state grant program in the Education Law to reimburse eligible school districts for 100% of the combined annual salaries of school resource officers employed in district schools, beginning with the 2025-2026 school year and continuing in later years. The bill defines “school resource officer” broadly to include school safety officers, school security officers, school police officers, and similar positions intended to improve public safety and security on school grounds. It also specifies that these officers may include retired police officers, retired state troopers, retired deputy sheriffs, active-duty local police officers, and county deputy sheriffs. The bill further amends the law governing boards of cooperative educational services (BOCES) to expressly authorize them to contract with local police entities to provide school resource officers. Those costs would be eligible for the same grant support as school districts under the new reimbursement program. The bill would take effect immediately if enacted.

Impact

The bill would amend Education Law section 3641 to add a new state aid category for school resource officer grants, shifting the full salary cost of qualifying officers to state reimbursement for eligible districts. It would also amend Education Law section 1950 to give BOCES explicit authority to enter into contracts with local police entities for school resource officers, expanding the operational options available to shared-service educational organizations. In practical terms, the measure would affect school districts, BOCES, and local police agencies by creating a state-funded mechanism to support school-based law enforcement and security staffing.

Sentiment

No committee transcripts or recorded votes were provided, so there is no direct evidence of debate, amendments, or formal support/opposition in the available record. Based on the bill text and caption, the measure appears to be framed as a school safety and security funding proposal, suggesting a generally pro-public-safety orientation. The absence of voting history or hearing discussion means the overall sentiment cannot be measured from the supplied materials.

Contention

The main policy issue likely to generate contention is the use of state funds to fully reimburse school resource officer salaries and the broader role of police in schools. Supporters would likely emphasize improved safety, emergency response, and flexibility in staffing, while critics may question the cost, the expansion of school policing, and potential impacts on school climate or student discipline. Another possible point of debate is the bill’s broad definition of school resource officer, which includes multiple law-enforcement and security roles and could expand eligibility beyond traditional SRO positions.