PRINTER'S NO. 2843
No. 2180 Session of 2000
INTRODUCED BY THOMAS, J. TAYLOR, GEIST, DALEY, HALUSKA,
KIRKLAND, MYERS, RAMOS, ROBINSON, SOLOBAY, WASHINGTON AND
YOUNGBLOOD, JANUARY 18, 2000
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, JANUARY 18, 2000
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), entitled "An
2 act relating to the public school system, including certain
3 provisions applicable as well to private and parochial
4 schools; amending, revising, consolidating and changing the
5 laws relating thereto," further providing for school police
6 officers.
7 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
8 hereby enacts as follows:
9 Section 1. Section 778 of the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30,
10 No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, amended June
11 25, 1997 (P.L.297, No.30), is amended to read:
12 Section 778. School Police Officers.--(a) [Any] Each school
13 district [may] shall apply to any judge of the court of common
14 pleas of the county within which the school district is situated
15 to appoint such person or persons as the board of directors of
16 the school district may designate to act as school police
17 officer for said school district. The judge, upon such
18 application, [may] shall appoint such person, or so many of them
19 as he may deem proper, to be such school police officer and
1 shall note the fact of such appointment to be entered upon the
2 records of the court. The judge [may, at the request of the
3 school district,] shall grant the school police officer the
4 power to arrest as provided in subsection (c)(2), the authority
5 to issue citations for summary offenses [or], the authority to
6 detain students until the arrival of local law enforcement, the
7 authority to educate students as provided in subsection (c)(4),
8 or any combination thereof.
9 (b) Every school police officer so appointed shall, before
10 entering upon the duties of his office, take and subscribe to
11 the oath required by the seventh article of the Constitution,
12 before an alderman or justice of the peace or prothonotary. Such
13 oath shall be filed by the justice of the peace, alderman, or
14 prothonotary among his papers, and a note made upon his docket
15 of the fact of the oath having been taken.
16 (c) Such school police officer so appointed shall severally
17 possess and exercise all the following powers and duties:
18 (1) To enforce good order in school buildings, on school
19 buses and on school grounds in their respective school
20 districts. For purposes of this clause, the term "school bus"
21 shall include vehicles leased by the school district to
22 transport students and vehicles of mass transit used by students
23 to go to and from school when the school police officer is
24 responding to a report of an incident involving a breach of good
25 order or violation of law.
26 (2) [If authorized by the court, to] To exercise the same
27 powers as are now or may hereafter be exercised under authority
28 of law or ordinance by the police of the municipality wherein
29 the school property is located.
30 (3) [If authorized by the court, to] To issue summary
20000H2180B2843 - 2 -
1 citations or to detain individuals until local law enforcement
2 is notified.
3 (4) To educate students on violent acts and criminal
4 offenses.
5 (d) Such school police officer shall, when on duty,
6 severally wear a metallic shield or badge with the words "School
7 Police," and the name of the district for which appointed. Such
8 shield shall always be worn in plain view when on duty except
9 when employed as detective.
10 (e) The compensation of such school police officers shall be
11 paid by the school district for which the school police officers
12 are respectively appointed, as may be agreed upon between the
13 board of school directors and the school police officer.
14 (f) School districts and municipalities may enter into
15 cooperative police service agreements pursuant to 42 Pa.C.S. §
16 8953(e) (relating to Statewide municipal police jurisdiction) to
17 authorize the exercise of concurrent jurisdiction with local law
18 enforcement within the municipality where the school or school
19 district is located or within the municipality in which a school
20 event or activity will take place.
21 (g) When acting within the scope of this section, school
22 police officers shall, at all times, be employes of the school
23 district and shall be entitled to all of the rights and benefits
24 accruing therefrom.
25 (h) Nothing in this section shall be construed to preclude a
26 school district from employing other security personnel as the
27 school district deems necessary.
28 Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
J21L24DMS/20000H2180B2843 - 3 -