AR SB407

School district boards must enter into a memorandum of understanding with local law enforcement (or adopt policies if using institutional officers) governing school resource officers, including financial responsibilities, chain of command, selection and evaluation processes, training requirements, and roles/responsibilities regarding student discipline, physical restraints, chemical sprays, firearms use, and campus arrests.

The Division of Elementary and Secondary Education and Arkansas Center for School Safety must create a model memorandum of understanding that school districts use as a basis for their agreements.

Sworn law enforcement assigned to public school campuses during instructional day must complete a 40-hour basic school resource officer training program within 18 months, obtain Youth Mental Health First Aid certification (renewed every 4 years), complete 16-hour refresher training every 5 years, and complete 12 hours of annual public school-specific continuing education.

School resource officers assigned only for extracurricular activities are exempt from training requirements; officers who fail to complete required training cannot serve until training is complete.

Public school superintendents and principals must complete 1-hour training on school resource officer roles and responsibilities within 9 months of hiring; supervising personnel must complete the same training within 1 year and every 2 years thereafter; training can count toward educator license renewal professional development requirements.