Lehigh Times

HARRISBURG – A bill introduced by Sen. Jarrett Coleman (R-16) that mandates parental notification when a weapon is discovered at schools or school-sponsored events has been approved by the Senate Education Committee.

“Violence at schools is a sad reality and parents deserve to know when weapons are found at their child’s school,” Coleman stated. “Openness and transparency in these situations can establish trust between parents and school administrators. Parents don’t want to learn weeks later from a third party about a weapon found at their child’s school.”

Senate Bill 971 requires schools and school entities to notify parents and guardians within 24 hours of an incident involving the possession of a weapon on school property. The bill allows for targeted notifications when appropriate, such as notifying only those associated with specific events like a school dance or sports team bus where the weapon was found.

The legislation also mandates that teachers, administrators, and employees associated with the affected area be informed of any weapon-related incidents. “In addition to parents and guardians, our teachers and other school employees should be made aware when a weapon is discovered where they work,” Coleman said. “The goal is to create a climate of trust so people know if something happens, they will hear about it and if they aren’t hearing anything, it’s because nothing happened.”

The bill prohibits notifications from containing personally identifiable information about the student who brought the weapon, except for notifying the parents or guardians of that particular student.

Senate Bill 971 now proceeds to the full Senate for consideration.

Residents interested in learning more about Sen. Jarrett Coleman can visit his website at www.SenatorColeman.com, follow him on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SenatorJarrettColeman, or sign up for email newsletters at www.SenatorColeman.com/eNewsletters.

CONTACT: Leo Knepper