ANNAPOLIS, MD—As part of the National Governors Association (NGA) Summer Meeting in Portland, ME, Governor Larry Hogan took part in a bipartisan discussion with fellow governors on school and community safety. The discussion included a focus on Maryland’s Safe to Learn Act, which the governor enacted in 2018.
“Maryland’s Safe to Learn Act is a national model for common sense reforms to protect schools, hire and train school resource officers, and expand behavioral health services,” said Governor Hogan. “The nation’s governors are committed to working together on solutions that will provide more tools to help keep our schools safe.”
The governor is a member of the NGA’s bipartisan working group that will study and make recommendations designed to combat gun violence and provide families confidence in the safety of their schools and communities.
Enacted with bipartisan support, the Safe to Learn Act expanded funding and responsibilities for the Maryland Center For School Safety (MCSS)—including grants to conduct school safety assessments, improve the physical safety of school facilities, and implement best practices to enhance safety; created aggressive statewide standards for school safety, requiring school resources officer or equivalent law enforcement coverage in every school system; required standardized training and certification for school resource officers; required each school system to have behavioral health teams to identify and provide interventions for students who pose a threat to safety.
Building on the Safe to Learn Act, the state created a new Safe Schools Maryland tip line devoted to streamlining the reporting of possible threats to students and school facilities. Trained professionals are available to respond to reports 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, by calling 1-833-632-7233.
In addition to Governor Hogan, the following governors participate in the working group on behalf of all 55 states and territories
- Governor Asa Hutchinson (AR)
- Governor Phil Murphy (NJ)
- Governor Spencer Cox (UT)
- Governor Kathy Hochul (NY)
- Governor Ned Lamont (CT)
- Governor Henry McMaster (SC)
- Governor Gretchen Whitmer (MI)
