Gov. Beshear signs bill requiring on-site resource officers at K-12 schools

FRANKFORT, Ky. (WDRB) -- Gov. Andy Beshear has signed into law a bill requiring resource officers to work on-site at Kentucky schools.

House Bill 63 was signed into law Friday. The legislation, sponsored by Rep. Kevin Bratcher, requires local school boards to ensure schools in their districts have at least one armed resource officer working on their campuses and inside buildings by Aug. 1.

If school districts cannot hire enough school resource officers because they lack funding or qualified personnel, they must develop plans to do so with Kentucky's school security marshal.

The new law, which passes by wide margins in both chambers of the General Assembly, was passed after the Jefferson County Board of Education approved a security plan in January. The security plan at Kentucky's largest school district calls for the hiring of 15 school security officers and the reclassification of 15 security monitors and five security officers to patrol district campuses, primarily from their vehicles, in assigned geographic zones primarily based around middle and high schools.

The district's security plan also calls for the hiring of 66 school security administrators to work in schools.

JCPS released a statement after the bill was signed. "We have a good security plan and look forward to working with the state school security marshal as to we continue to look for ways to keep our students and staff safe."

HB 63 also allows school boards to create district police departments.