Department of Public Safety; requiring certain funds be utilized for certain purpose; School Secure Program; effective date; emergency.
Summary
HB2779 directs $750,000 from funds appropriated to the Department of Public Safety under Enrolled House Bill 2766 to be used for the School Secure Program. The measure specifically identifies the program as one that was transferred from the State Board of Education to the Department of Public Safety, and it does not create a new program or expand eligibility; instead, it earmarks existing appropriated money for that stated purpose.
The bill is a budgetary and administrative measure that affects how state appropriations are spent, rather than changing substantive criminal, education, or public safety law. It creates a new, noncodified section of law and takes effect July 1, 2025, though it also contains an emergency clause so it becomes effective immediately upon passage and approval. Its practical impact is to ensure dedicated funding for school security-related activities under the Department of Public Safety.
Impact
HB2779 requires the Department of Public Safety to use $750,000 of appropriated funds for the School Secure Program, thereby constraining discretion over those dollars and tying them to a specific public safety and school security purpose. Because the provision is noncodified, it operates as a one-time appropriations directive rather than a permanent statutory amendment, but it still governs the use of the referenced funds and the administration of the program after its transfer from the State Board of Education.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have received broad, bipartisan support and moved with no recorded opposition in either chamber. Committee and floor votes were unanimous or near-unanimous, including 27-0 in a House committee, 24-0 in a Senate committee, 86-0 on House third reading, and 43-0 on Senate third reading. The voting pattern suggests general agreement that school security funding should be protected and directed to the Department of Public Safety.
Contention
There is little evidence of substantive contention in the available record, as no committee transcripts are provided and all recorded votes were unanimous. The only potentially sensitive issue is the allocation of appropriated funds to a specific program, which can raise questions about budget flexibility and agency control, but no member opposition or competing arguments are documented here. The bill’s focus on school security and emergency status likely made it politically uncontroversial.