The bill, by Sen. Trip Pittman, R-Montrose, would add school security to the list of allowed uses for money from the Advancement and Technology Fund. The House of Representatives passed it by a vote of 96-4.
About $41 million is expected to be available for K-12 schools from the Advancement and Technology Fund this year. Schools systems receive a share proportional to their enrollment.
Under current law, the fund can be used for repairs and deferred maintenance, classroom instructional support, insuring facilities, transportation and education technology and equipment.
Rep. Bill Poole, D-Tuscaloosa, the House education budget chairman, said the bill would allow school systems to use the money for security cameras, making entrances more secure and other nonrecurring uses related to security.
"Any tool we can add to the toolboxes that schools have to keep the premises safe is critical," Poole said.
Poole said the money is not intended to hire personnel, like school resource officers, but said it's possible school systems could do so under a contract arrangement.
"If they have some security needs, whether those are security cameras or improving door lock systems or alert systems or whatever the case may be, the local districts will have the flexibility to point these resources to those specific needs," Poole said.
Rep. John Knight, D-Montgomery, proposed an amendment to say that the money from the Advancement and Technology could not be used to buy guns for teachers. Knight said he did not think that was the intent of the bill but said it should be specifically prohibited. The House rejected the amendment.
Poole said he did not think the amendment was necessary.
"There's no reason to start itemizing out everything that can and can't be used," Poole said.
The bill returns to the Senate, which could agree with changes made by the House and send the bill to Gov. Kay Ivey, who could sign it into law.
The bill is one of the ideas that came after the Feb. 14 mass shooting at a Florida high school.
Another bill that got a lot of attention, one to allow teachers who receive training and local approval to have guns in schools, is apparently dead for this session.
House Speaker Mac McCutcheon said it would be revisited next session.
©2018 Alabama Media Group, Birmingham Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
