A Senate committee defeated a bill reimbursing schools for training costs related to the Sentinel program.

 

On a 7-2 vote, Senate Appropriations committee members tabled House Bill 1152, which provides financial assistance for school sentinel training. ASBSD was monitoring the bill.

 

HB 1152 sought to provide a $1,500 reimbursement – paid by the S.D. Department of Education – to school districts who have an employee complete the Sentinel program training up to a total annual amount of $45,000 being able to be distributed.

 

“The $45,000 is in some real ways an unfunded mandate,” Secretary of Education Ben Jones testified in opposition of the bill during its committee hearing.

 

Rep. Dayle Hammock, the bill’s prime sponsor, said the bill “would provide incentive for schools” to implement the program.

 

SASD Executive Director Rob Monson told committee members school would find ways to fund the program if they did in fact want to implement it.

 

For updates from the 2020 legislative session, check the ASBSD Blog and Bill Tracker page.