Advanced Emergency Training and First Aid Equipment Grant Fund and Program; established.
Summary
HB2364 creates a new nonreverting special fund in the state treasury called the School Safety and Security Grant Fund and directs the Department of Education to administer a competitive grant program for Virginia school divisions. The grants are intended to improve the safety and security of public school buildings by helping pay for equipment purchases and installations, including emergency first aid equipment, software, planning, and on-site emergency training for school board employees who regularly interact with students.
The bill also specifies that grant money may be used for equipment that is not eligible under the existing Public School Security Equipment Grant Act of 2013, suggesting it is meant to supplement, not replace, current school security funding. The Department is given authority to establish rules, processes, and procedures for the program and to consult with state agencies focused on public safety and emergency response.
Impact
The bill would add a new section to the Code of Virginia, § 22.1-280.2:5, and create a dedicated funding mechanism for school safety grants. It would affect school divisions by making them eligible to apply for competitive grants for security-related purchases, training, and planning, while also expanding the state’s school safety funding framework beyond the existing security equipment grant program. The fund would be nonreverting, meaning unused balances would carry forward each fiscal year rather than returning to the general fund.
Sentiment
The committee and subcommittee votes show generally positive initial support for the measure, with unanimous or near-unanimous reporting votes early in the process. However, the later subcommittee action to lay the bill on the table indicates that support may have weakened or that concerns emerged after referral to Appropriations. No transcript is available, so the record shows procedural movement more clearly than detailed debate, but the overall pattern suggests the bill was viewed favorably on policy grounds while still facing fiscal or prioritization concerns.
Contention
The main likely point of contention is funding: the bill establishes a new grant program and nonreverting fund, which can raise questions about budget impact, ongoing appropriations, and competition with other spending priorities. Another possible issue is overlap with the existing Public School Security Equipment Grant Act of 2013, since the bill explicitly allows funding for items not eligible under that program, which may prompt debate over duplication, coordination, and whether the new program is necessary. The final subcommittee decision to table the bill suggests that at least some members or stakeholders may have had reservations about cost, administration, or program design.