Committee advances bill letting qualifying districts hire licensed proprietary security personnel as an added layer to school resource officers
March 26, 2025 | Education, Standing, Senate, Committees, Legislative, South Carolina
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The Senate Education Committee advanced Senate Bill 269 after adopting amendments removing a first‑draft enrollment threshold and adding committee clarifications. The bill authorizes school districts that meet specified organizational and training requirements to apply for a proprietary security business license so they may hire specially trained security personnel as a layered security approach in schools. Districts must maintain school resource officers and adhere to existing law governing SROs.
Katie Grinstead briefed the committee on the bill’s core elements: to qualify, a district must have a dedicated full‑time division for security and emergency management, a written agreement with local law enforcement for joint and continuous training, and the required administrative capacity. A subcommittee amendment clarified that personnel hired under this section may not act in the adviser or teacher role reserved for school resource officers and that a charter school applicant would apply through the authorizer’s superintendent.
Committee members discussed the original statutory threshold that limited eligible districts to those with enrollment of at least 15,000 students. Senators noted law‑enforcement concerns about smaller districts’ capacity to meet training requirements. Senator Anderson proposed striking the 15,000‑student threshold and letting the statute’s operational criteria determine eligibility; the committee adopted that amendment by voice vote. The amended bill also incorporates committee technical amendments.
Supporters said some large districts already contract private security firms and would prefer bringing that function in‑house with higher, consistent training standards aligned with SLED and local sheriff’s offices. The sponsor said the proposal is meant to supplement, not supplant, SROs and to provide districts with more control over hiring and training.
The committee approved a motion to give the bill a favorable report to the full Senate, as amended.
Committee staff will forward the amended bill to the Senate floor with the committee’s recommendation.
Katie Grinstead briefed the committee on the bill’s core elements: to qualify, a district must have a dedicated full‑time division for security and emergency management, a written agreement with local law enforcement for joint and continuous training, and the required administrative capacity. A subcommittee amendment clarified that personnel hired under this section may not act in the adviser or teacher role reserved for school resource officers and that a charter school applicant would apply through the authorizer’s superintendent.
Committee members discussed the original statutory threshold that limited eligible districts to those with enrollment of at least 15,000 students. Senators noted law‑enforcement concerns about smaller districts’ capacity to meet training requirements. Senator Anderson proposed striking the 15,000‑student threshold and letting the statute’s operational criteria determine eligibility; the committee adopted that amendment by voice vote. The amended bill also incorporates committee technical amendments.
Supporters said some large districts already contract private security firms and would prefer bringing that function in‑house with higher, consistent training standards aligned with SLED and local sheriff’s offices. The sponsor said the proposal is meant to supplement, not supplant, SROs and to provide districts with more control over hiring and training.
The committee approved a motion to give the bill a favorable report to the full Senate, as amended.
Committee staff will forward the amended bill to the Senate floor with the committee’s recommendation.
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