Summary of Substitute House Bill 318

• Establishes training requirements for school resource officers, including 40 hours of specialized training within one year of appointment covering school environments, de-escalation strategies, and appropriate interactions with youth.

• Restricts out-of-school suspensions and expulsions for students in grades pre-kindergarten through three, with limited exceptions for serious safety threats, and requires schools to implement positive behavior intervention and supports frameworks.

• Requires memoranda of understanding between school districts and law enforcement agencies clarifying roles, responsibilities, and protocols for school resource officer programs to ensure separation between school discipline and criminal justice processes.

• Appropriates $12 million for school safety training grants and $2 million for school climate grants to support positive behavior intervention and supports implementation in schools with high suspension rates or economically disadvantaged populations.

• Mandates the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission conduct a study of school building security measures and school resource officer availability, with results due to the Governor and General Assembly by February 1, 2019.